Scorched Earth
by DeathscytheVII
Summary: AU. What if the Fire Nation had won the war? Set twenty years after Sozin's Comet, Korra is born and raised as a soldier of the Fire Nation, not knowing the immense power and legacy she inherits. It is up to an exiled prince to show her the way, so that she can defeat the Fire Nation and bring balance back to the world. Featuring Korra and the older Gaang plus a few LOK characters
1. Book 1 : Fire : The Beginning

**Scorched Earth **

**火**

_Earth..._

_ Fire..._

_ Air..._

_ Water_

* * *

_I betrayed Avatar Aang._

_I felt like I had no choice. It was my destiny; the goal of a lifetime of training and sacrifice. It __ earned me my father's praise and love, and finally ended the Hundred Year War. Aang would have understood. A__t least, that's what I kept telling myself._

_To my nation, I was a hero. To the world, I was the villain. _

_The Fire Nation had succeeded in conquering the other three nations, and had consolidated them into the Phoenix Empire, the greatest empire to have ever ruled the world. To commemorate his victory, my father named the capital of this great empire, New Ozai. It was supposed to be a symbol of the Fire Nation's proudest achievement, but now I only see it as a mark of my greatest shame. _

_Even in death however, Aang's legacy lives on. There is a new Avatar born somewhere in the Water Tribes, I just know it. It is my duty to find her and help her bring balance to the world. I believe she can help me redeem my honor and that of my nation. _

___I believe she can save the world. _

* * *

Flat arctic tundra stretched out for miles across the South Pole, chilled by the raging blizzard that tore through the land with freezing gale force winds. Thick flurries of snow accompanied the crescendo, descending from the heavy storm clouds that blocked off the warm rays of the sun. It was a harsh time of year for the area, and water tribesmen would usually spend this time taking shelter in their homes until the storm passed.

Amongst the icy plains stood a single compound, constructed several years ago. It was a dark and imposing structure, constructed from the finest refined steel and iron. In a land where there were few recognizable landmarks, the chimneys and smoke stacks of the compound were visible for miles around, spewing into the skies so much ash and soot that it looked like it was raining black snow.

On the steel walls of the compound, hung the crimson banner of the Fire Nation

For Senna and Tonraq, who had lost their bid to escape to the Northern Water Tribe months ago, it was an unbearable experience. Senna was pregnant with their child, and aside from the trauma and strain it was causing his wife, Tonraq found the fact that their daughter would spend her life in a prison particularly heartbreaking.

But with steely resolve, they were determined to make the best of it.

Their fellow inmates had prepared a bed for Senna to make her as comfortable as she could, and Tonraq found himself swallowing his pride as he was reduced to begging the Fire Nation soldiers for spare blankets and water. The guardsmen scoffed with indifference to their plight, but soon, they had scrounged up everything they needed.

It was here, during a howling snowstorm, where Korra was born.

"We have a child now." she said softly, clutching Tonraq's hand firmly as she caught her breath, their little baby girl peacefully sleeping in Senna's arms.

"Yes." Tonraq felt his heart swell with love and admiration for his wife, for her courage and strength in facing the dangers of this prison, and for the perfect daughter they had borne.

"I have to find a way to get her out of here..." Tonraq began seriously, "I have a responsibility for her future."

Senna brushed her hand softly against her husband's cheek in comfort. She was so beautiful, he thought.

"If...If only I had taken us North earlier, this wouldn't have happened." Tonraq's voice was heavy with regret, "She would have been among our people and would have more friends and playmates to grow up with. Now...it's just this dark cell."

"If you had, then you wouldn't have been the man I married." Senna whispered, her strength still drained. "You couldn't just leave our village knowing a Fire Nation fleet was attacking. Not when there were still those who couldn't be moved in time. You aren't the type to cut and run."

He nodded softly, stroking his wife's hair as well as running his finger alongside his daughter's cheeks.

"She deserves more than this." He said fiercely.

She placed her hand over his.

"And we'll make sure she gets it, but for now. Let's just enjoy this moment." She smiled warmly.

Not for the first time, Tonraq marvelled at how optimistic Senna could be, and how infectious her attitude was as well. He smiled, embracing his new family warmly. Despite being locked in an icy steel prison in the most desolate part of the world, at that moment, Tonraq couldn't help but feel like he was the luckiest man in the world.

* * *

Fire Nation prison camps were not the best places to raise a child. They ran purely on the goal of breaking down the spirits and resistance of their captives; whether it was by imprisoning earthbenders in steel cages, or purposely depriving waterbenders of water, nothing was too harsh or unorthodox for the wardens.

With the victory of the Fire Nation and the conquest of the Earth Kingdom, the prisons suddenly took a dramatic change. They were now converted into military internment and re-education camps rather than simple prisons, in order to raise the prisoners and their families into the next generation of colonials, loyal and subservient to the Phoenix Empire. In addition to that, Fire Nation dissidents were also thrown into these military camps, to train them into penal troops used as reserve units for the front lines.

Unsurprisingly, throwing a mixture of war criminals, Fire Nation convicts, and waterbending prisoners together in an enclosed space resulted in an unstable reaction. Fistfights between prisoners over food, blankets and water became commonplace, and the guards, bored by garrison duty, allowed them to have their fun, to an extent.

Growing up in a prison afforded harsh lessons. Every day was a struggle to survive. The meek ones were usually the first to go without water, food or shelter, they huddled to the sides like pariahs, no one willing to give up any of their belongings to them, and no one willing to ally with someone who wouldn't stand up for themselves.

The majority of the prisoners were broken, despairing - waterbenders who had long forgotten what it was like to feel the spray of the ocean waves crashing on their faces, or the chilling glow of the full moon that powered their spirits.

Tonraq, with his huge size imposing for most prisoners, avoided most of the harassment when it came to the distribution of food and supplies, the guards and prisoners preferring weaker, easier prey. He gave silent thanks to the spirits daily for that, considering he had a family to feed.

When they weren't doing drills in the prison, the men were put to work in the field, carving up the ice and laying down the steel foundations for the expansion of the Fire Nation colony in the South Pole. Every day, ships from the former Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation would drop by, delivering construction materials and much needed supplies for the camp. It was up to men like Tonraq to unload the supplies, as well as take part in constructing the new colony.

It was an exhausting work load, and it was further worsened by the fact that the prisoners only received bare sustenance rations, by the end of the day, everyone was too exhausted to even stand. The warden didn't care - in his mind, it was another effective method of crowd control and preventing rebellion.

The years had passed quietly, and they watched as Korra grew up before their eyes. She was tough and stubborn with a fiery personality. It was to Tonraq's relief that they had managed to affiliate themselves with another group of families- the husbands banding together to protect their children while the wives took care of the kids and the meals.

It was also here where Korra had a chance to finally make some friends, and he smiled with pride whenever he watched his little girl take charge during the games with the children - a natural born leader, with a strong will at that. During one of the last prison fights, Senna told him how Korra almost jumped out of her arms to rush and save her dad. Tonraq had managed to make his way to their cell, a bit roughed up, but otherwise fine.

"You stay here daddy!" She declared. "There're bad men outside. I'll save you- help you beat them up!" She rolled up her sleeves fearlessly, which put a smile to his face. His daughter was born to fight, he reflected with pride.

Other days, Tonraq received the worst of it. When it became clear that he was winning too many of the prison fights (all initiated by others), the warden decided to make an example of him to keep him 'humble'. He was locked in the freezer for over two days, leaving his family worried and starving.

He almost collapsed as he made his way back to the cell. Senna embraced him tightly, with tears in her eyes, while Korra hugged him even more fiercely.

"Please daddy...don't fight anymore. Don't leave. People get hurt out there." Korra said sadly, gripping his clothes tightly.

Tonraq felt a lump pushing in the back of his throat as he brushed Korra's hair, while Senna tended to his wounds. It broke his heart to leave them every day to work in the compound, but it had to be done. They were fortunate to not have seen what he knew was outside the cell walls. He saw the broken shells that this prison created out of its inhabitants, and he swore to the spirits that he would keep fighting to protect his daughter from it, for as long as he could.

* * *

The real surprise however, came when Korra turned seven.

A howling blizzard outside had taken out the prison's generator and furnace, throwing the entire cell block into darkness as well as cutting off the heat. The firebenders, having been through the drill before, started lighting up candles in their own cells.

Senna and Tonraq were expecting another cold freezing night without heat, but to their surprise, a bright orange flame danced in the air, temporarily lighting up the cell, and the shocked faces of both Senna and Tonraq.

Realizing what she had done, a look of joy and amazement etched itself on Korra's face. She was a bender!

At that precise moment, a flurry of thoughts went through Senna and Tonraq's head. Was there a firebender in either of their family trees? _Or perhaps Senna_...Tonraq dismissed that thought instantly, ashamed it had even come to bear in his mind.

There was also a third option. One that was as exciting as it was dangerous.

Was their girl the Avatar?

But Avatar Aang had died had died ten years ago. Wasn't the cycle supposed to reincarnate the same year the previous avatar had died? Or at least, that was what Tonraq had thought.

Regardless, they decided it was best to keep it a secret. For Korra's sake.

It worked well enough, until one day, the Warden decided to have his men scrounge up the remaining prisoners who seemed to be the most defiant (and to him, defiant meant anything other than a broken spirited shell) to be made an example of. Before long, two firebending soldiers found themselves in Tonraq's cell, with orders to drag him off to the freezers.

As Senna pleaded for the guards to let her husband go, one of the soldiers suddenly screamed in pain as a burst of flame seared the back of his armor.

The soldier looked to his comrade in irritation, but his partner could only shrug his shoulders in confusion. It wasn't he who shot the blast.

Both men looked to the back of the room, their jaws dropping at the sight of a seven year old girl in water tribe prisoner's garbs producing a cartwheel of dancing flame.

"I'm a Firebender- you gotta deal with it!" She declared boastfully, crooking a finger at the guards as if inviting them to fight.

"Korra! No!" Senna jumped protectively in front of her daughter.

"I can take them!" Korra declared fiercely, and to that, the two soldiers burst into laughter at the ridiculous sight.

Senna found herself holding onto Korra tightly, even though her child begged her to let her go. The ridiculing laughter from the guards produced small tears in Korra's eyes as she found herself helpless in her mother's embrace.

Firebending children in the prison were nothing special, but what was unique about this was that this girl was clearly from the Southern Water Tribe, which had no history of fire bending colonials settling in with them until recently.

Eventually, one the guards made a snide comment regarding Senna, and Tonraq found himself vaulting towards the guard, blind fury etched on his face. After what seemed like an eternity, the guards called three more men to come and restrain him.

Senna accepted it all with the quiet dignity and courage that Tonraq had known her for, and if it meant keeping her daughter safe, the hostile and patronizing glares she received was a small price to pay.

* * *

It didn't take long before this 'miracle' firebender was brought before the warden of the internment camp.

"A firebender huh?" The warden, a middle-aged soldier with a mustache, watched Korra with a mixture of curiosity and disgust. Even colonials were looked down upon in the Fire Nation as second class citizens.

He watched Korra with fascination however, the little girl being held down by her shoulders by a soldier. It unnerved Senna the way the warden was looking at Korra.

He quickly turned to Senna and Tonraq.

"You should be proud. Your daughter is the first in what will be many generations of colonials that will populate the world for the glory of the Phoenix Empire. She is an example for all to follow."

"Please, don't take our daughter away from us! She is all we have left!" Senna pleaded, while several Fire Nation guards held her and her husband back.

The warden simply stroked his chin in contemplation.

"Sir...do you think it's the Avatar?" Another guard suggested in an unsure tone.

"No," The warden shook his head. "The Phoenix Lord killed the Avatar while he was in the Avatar State at Ba Sing Se years ago, the cycle is broken. Besides" the warden said confidently, "If you check the dates, it doesn't add up."

He grinned at Korra. "This is just our luck. It's good seeing the results of our colonial program coming to fruition. Your daughter will be my apprentice going forward."

"If you do anything to hurt her..." Tonraq began in a threatening tone as struggled against the guards.

"I am offering her a better life outside this pit you have come to call a home." The warden replied rudely. "If she does well enough, maybe she can earn your freedom too."

Senna and Tonraq watched in defeat as their daughter was taken away, knowing they weren't given a choice in the matter.

That night, they had imprisoned Korra in a special tower overlooking the compound. It was the first time she had been separated from her parents. The warden, overjoyed at having the chance to mold an elite colonial Firebender, quickly forgot the punishment he had for Tonraq.

That was small consolation for the couple as they watched the tower through the prison bars, only imagining how hard it was for their little girl. They didn't know if Korra knew it, but the chains that had been around her all her life had suddenly become more constricted.

It was also the night that the first rumblings of an earthquake shook the compound.

* * *

The situation was more than Tonraq could bear, and with Korra being taken away, he knew that the time was right to enact his plan.

It was with surprise that one night, Korra awoke with a start; a hand quickly covered over her mouth in bed. Fearing the worst, she prepared to send a blast of flame into her assailant until a familiar voice silenced her.

"Shhh...it's me, honey." The voice whispered protectively.

"Daddy?" Korra widened her eyes in surprise, a multitude of questions flowing through her head. How did he get into the tower, and why was he here this late?

"Tonight's the night, Korra. I'm going to get you out of here."

"But how?"

Tonraq took a glancing look at the hallway, where a lone torch lit the steel corridor, revealing no guards in sight.

"I've been working with the miners in the camp for months now." Tonraq explained. "There's a tunnel we've constructed that could lead us out of the compound, but we have to be quiet."

Korra nodded with a yawn. "Alright I'll go with you daddy." She fell into her father's arms, dozing off.

"That's my little girl." Tonraq whispered proudly, deciding it was best that Korra remained asleep. He carried his daughter quietly through the hallways, until he finally reached the yard where the escape party waited.

His feet crumpled softly on the snow as he slipped past several sleeping Fire Nation guards, hoping their complacency was enough to give him the opening to reach the meeting point.

As he got there however, a shout in the darkness broke the silence.

Within an instant, the entire wall of the encampment light up with fire, revealing several dozen Fire Nation guards in combat positions. Tonraq watched with a heavy heart as he saw his fellow comrades tied up in a corner, Senna among them. Someone had betrayed their location.

At this point, the bright lights and sounds woke Korra up with a start, and she began crying.

"Well hello, my little prisoners." The Warden smirked darkly. "Fine night for a stroll isn't it?

In the end, the Warden sentenced Tonraq to a week in the freezer, along with several 'special' punishments. The next time Korra saw her father was a month later, and his once huge frame had been whittled down into a bruised and battered shell. He still maintained that defiant look in his eyes whenever the Fire Guards faced him, but he was too weak to do anything, other than simply work.

She never found out what they did to him.

Korra watched her father sadly, hoping to see a flash of the old strength in him. But he was simply worn out; the years in prison had finally taken its toll on his body and spirit.

* * *

The years passed by in the blink of an eye. Senna and Tonraq were permitted to visit their daughter once every week, while she was thrown in with training with the recruits. Considering the cruelty that the warden had shown them previously, they took this as a blessing, and they wondered if this partly had to do with how well Korra had performed under his tutelage. Still, they were worried about the influence he would have on their daughter, and there was always that fear that one day, Korra would come back as someone they would not recognize.

Against all expectations, (except those of her parents, who knew her best) fourteen year old Korra proved to be a natural firebender. Her instructors, as tough as could be found in the Fire Nation military, nodded with approval, as their pupil grew faster and stronger under their watch.

Excelling at firebending won her few friends; although the other colonial recruits, spurred by her example, began to look to her as a protector and friend, most of the Fire Nation recruits looked down at her despite her skill, as if the thought of a mere 'colonial' beating them was repulsive.

She ignored their jeers, even fought back when several of the boys attempted to bully and harass her, which resulted in all of them being punished.

Some of the trainers were petty and cruel, with an obvious bias towards their 'native' fire bending recruits than the colonials. They took more delight out of administering the punishment than any other people.

"Forty push ups. Now water tribe!" The drill instructor sneered at Korra as he placed a foot onto her back, applying more and more pressure as Korra struggled to finish her sets. The other boys, Fire Nation favorites, hooted as they watched her collapse under the heel of the man, sweat dripping down her bruised body.

"Never forget where your place is, water tribe, beneath my boot." The man smirked as he walked on, leaving an enraged and exhausted Korra on the ground.

Other trainers however, took their job seriously. They were neither warm nor encouraging towards her, but they were at least fair, and Korra respected that, even if she disliked their methods.

"The power in your firebending comes from your breath! Not your muscles! We will repeat this basic exercise day and night until you get it right!" The old master chastised his pupils, it greatly annoyed Korra to have to do the sets again, as she hated repetitive training.

Still, Korra never gave up. She remembered all the sleepless nights her mother had endured waiting for her father to return from the construction sites and the prison compound, and he always came back, worn for the wear but the energy and drive still in his eyes. She would never forget that. It was the anger burning in her that gave her the strength to continue training, even if it meant aiding the very monsters that had thrown her parents in prison.

She would be strong for them. Like steel forged in brightest flame.

When the time came, she swore she would use what they taught her to finally free her family. Until then, she endured.

* * *

"I am First Lieutenant Qin," The drill instructor introduced himself to the line of recruits and prisoners. The entire line was a mix mash of firebending juvenile criminal, colonists, and the sons and daughters of the prison guards. To them, he looked every part his rank. Clean-shaven, a traditional fire nation top knot for his hair, and his red ceremonial armor lined with gold to show his status as an officer.

"Today, you will begin the first step in your journey of becoming proper Fire Nation soldiers. In addition to mastering the advanced arts of firebending, your instructors have picked you out as the brightest of the batch. Now, you will prove to me that you have what it takes to stand in that line."

"You are soldiers of the Fire Nation. Of the Phoenix Lord. Be proud warriors of fire, for today, you get a chance to show us what you are made of!"

Korra smirked, eager to get the exam over with, this was the moment she was waiting for, when she vowed she would earn her parents their freedom.

In the ten years of training she had endured since being separated from her family, Korra no longer resembled the scared little seven year old from before. She grew to be taller and stronger than her mother, taking after her father's hair and nose as well as her mother's brilliant blue eyes. She was also very fit, her muscles toned and well defined from years of hard training- not in the bulky bodybuilder sense, but in the athletic sense.

Dressed in the traditional light armor of a Fire Nation soldier, Korra had only two things that made her stand out from a regular grunt, the brown complexion of her skin, denoting her water tribe heritage, and the blue water tribe ornaments that tied her hair in a neat ponytail, with two hair pieces falling in front. Her trainers allowed that as a slight concession, for their warden's number one student.

"Every soldier, before passing on, must face an Agni Kai test. You may choose your opponent from any of these firebending instructors." The lieutenant gestured towards the three Firebending sergeants who had made the recruits' lives a living hell the past few years.

In the rough penal colony prisons, one could not be too sure of the quality of the recruits, so the idea was to see whether or not the recruits had the stomach and strength of will to fight back against their previous tormentors, and thus prove themselves worthy warriors.

Korra however, surprised everyone when she stepped up to the ceremonial fighting circle to announce her choice of opponent.

"I choose all three of you." She pointed at each of the firebender teachers with a fierce determination in her eyes, before assuming an aggressive firebending stance.

"All three?" The lieutenant asked shockingly.

"You're making a big mistake here water tribe, do you really expect to beat all three of us?" One of the sergeants growled at being mocked by the teenage girl.

Korra however, simply cracked her knuckles casually, almost beckoning them to come at her.

"Why don't you come over here and find out?"

Provoked, the three sergeants decided they had enough, and they attacked, eager to teach the teenager a lesson.

* * *

Watching from the stands, three Fire Nation masters observed the scene with avid curiosity. They had announced their arrival to the South Pole days in advance, and in preparation, the warden had arranged it so that they could witness firsthand the quality of his firebending recruits, and thus perhaps, look into approving his recent requests for more funding and reinforcements to build up the Fire Nation presence in the south.

All eyes in the balcony were on the arena however, as the three Fire Nation veterans charged at the young recruit, firing jets of flame at her as they ran. The recruit met the charge with her own, twisting her body to one side to avoid a jet of flame, while unleashing a fireball of her own.

At first, the three generals were concerned, the instructors were the best qualified firebenders in the South Pole, but the recruit attacked them head on, almost recklessly, there was no pattern to her movements, which were both fluid and brash- unorthodox to the masters, but they couldn't argue with the results.

She was holding her own.

* * *

A quick blast of flame quickly hit one of the instructors dead in the chest, knocking him down and out of the flight. Two other large balls of flame shot straight at her, but she countered it head on, dispersing it with a circular wave of her arms.

This was years of pent up frustration and anger unleashed, and in another life, she probably would have felt sorry for these losers. But not today. Not after what they did to her and her parents.

Both firebenders charged her, unleashing two solid streams of flame at her as they ran. Korra swerved to the side, nimbly dodging three of the streams while punching one of them away. She felt the heat and adrenaline coarse through her veins as the heat blast dissolved in front of her. Despite spending her life in a prison, it was these moments, when she was free to practice her forms and use her agility, that she truly felt free.

Her focus was quickly resumed as another firebender did a sweeping jump kick at her, unleashing a wheel of flame in the process. Korra however, caught him off balance, doing a forward quick roll to avoid the flame. She also tripped her opponent up in the air with her foot just as he was about to land, causing the man to stumble as he landed.

Now was her chance.

She rushed her opponent, while blocking another fireblast from behind, unleashing a huge blast, she knocked her opponent into the air, landing unceremoniously in a smoking heap on the roof of the balcony where the masters watched.

* * *

"She lacks restraint." One of the firebending masters, a well built elder with a white beard and moustache and goutee, remarked dryly with disapproval.

"Since when was that a quality we've needed from our soldiers?" The warden defended his protégé, knowing full well that Korra was putting on a good show for him in front of his superiors.

"She's strong, I'll give her that," the other master, an elderly, portly man with a large white beard, replied reprovingly. "She truly has the spirit of fire in her. I've never seen such raw talent and power. Not since Lady Azula." The mere mention of the name brought a slight flinch to the the assembled masters.

"A little bit of refinement is all she needs." the third master agreed. Of the three, it was obvious that he was the swordsman of the group, as he sported a ceremonial Fire Nation _jian_ at his side.

"Can she be controlled? Restraint is no issue with me," the first master inquired, "But it is discipline that our armies need."

"If it's discipline, we won't have an issue, I've made arrangements for her to ensure her cooperation." The warden assured them, a dark grin etched on his face.

"I've very curious to see what else she has to offer," The second master mumbled cryptically.

* * *

The final firebending instructor, his eyes filled with hatred, circled Korra like a hawk, his stance aggressive and poised.

"You won't get out of this alive water tribe, I'll burn that stupid grin off your face." He made it out like a threat.

Korra however, didn't reply, she was in the zone, eyes focused and bursting with determination to take down her target. In the typical Fire Nation way, she attacked first, unleashing a massive fire blast into the man's face before his attack went off.

The firebending sergeant instinctively tucked his arms in to block, and that was what Korra was waiting for. Grabbing the man's hands, she split apart his block, knocking him backwards, then using his knee as a prop, jumped over his shoulder to leap above him. As she floated above him, she turned and did a spinning kick his way, unleashing another stream of flame which engulfed the man.

Dazed, the last drill sergeant stood for a split second, before finally collapsing onto his back, unconscious and smoldering.

"Hmph. Chump." Korra gave the smoking sergeant a taunting gesture, as if repaying him for the humiliation and degradation of the few ten years.

After finally reveling in her victory, she turned to face the three masters, their faces stern with contemplation.

She could hardly wait. All her life she had been told that to make the Fire Nation army was her parent's ticket to freedom, now, all she needed was to pass this firebending test, and her life would be set.

The three firebending masters looked like a bunch of grumpy old men to Korra. Two of them seemed to regard her presence with utter indifference. It was only the man in the middle, whom the warden had been whispering to, who seemed to take the most interest in her fight. Hopefully, she thought, he could be the ticket to escaping the horrible compound.

"The masters have reached their deliberations," the Warden announced, "Let me be the first to congratulate our first graduate: Private Korra, Second Class."

"WHOO-HOO!" she took off her helmet in celebration and then realizing perhaps that it wasn't the best idea to be so blunt in front of the masters, she quickly recovered herself and bowed in respect. "I mean, thank you, for believing in me."

The first firebending master raised his eyebrow at the gesture, but Korra decided to ignore it. She had so much good news to tell her parents, she couldn't wait until tomorrow.

For the first time in her seventeen years, things were finally looking up.

* * *

**A/N: An idea that's been popping in my head for a while, let me know your thoughts :)**

**Huge thanks to Ninja-curry-girl for beta'ing this!**


	2. Mako

**Chapter 2 : Mako**

* * *

Joining the colonial army was a first step, but it did not guarantee success. In the Phoenix Empire, colonial army units were often relegated to mundane and routine missions as defensive units, freeing up the regular Fire Nation Army and the elite Imperial Phoenix Guard for front line combat missions. Penal units and punishment batallions from the colonies were usually considered the lowest of the low in the armed forces. At best, they were used to garrison frontier fortresses, where they weren't expected to do more than just occupy the land in the name of the Phoenix Empire. At worst, they were used as simple cannon fodder.

Korra didn't care though, in her mind, she had made it. All her life she had seen the Fire Nation soldiers who had passed through the prison in their regal crimson armor, commanding respect while enjoying the privileges and honors that were bestowed upon them by the warden. Though quietly, in the deepest part of her soul, she would never forget nor forgive the pain and suffering the guards had inflicted on her family, another part of her also admitted that to be a part of an elite military organization such as the Fire Nation Army was undeniably _cool_. The light red armor was awesome as well, perfectly fitting on her athletic frame. There were perks to being part of the army after all.

She wasn't the only one who thought so. The other prisoners and families, seeing those who chose to enlist in the colonial army were getting rewarded with better shares of rations and clothing, followed suit as well.

It was with this knowledge that Korra visited her parents' cell block, her ceremonial Fire Nation light armor fitting quite comfortably. The red armor just clicked instantly with her, and she wore it with pride. She would have preferred the heavy Fire Nation armor with the dreaded skull masks, but those were reserved for regular army units and elite guards.

But regardless, she reveled in her new found importance, casually ignoring the glares and hushed whispers of her fellow prisoners as she passed them by.

They were too weak and frightened to do anything anyway.

Tonraq and Senna were busy cleaning up their prison cell for their daughter's big day. Tonraq was sitting down, carving a piece of wood into a water tribe tool, while Senna was busy sweeping. Both of them dropped what they were doing as they heard the flurry of footsteps echoing outside their cell door.

Korra ran so fast that as she rounded the corner, Senna and Tonraq unintentionally cringed when they saw the crimson red of an imperial firebender bolting into their prison cell.

It was with a mixture of shock and relief that they saw their seventeen year old daughter standing at the doorway, resplendent in the uniform of a Fire Nation soldier.

"Mom! Dad! I made it! I passed my firebending test!" Korra shouted in excitment as she ran up to give them a big bear hug.

Glad to see that their daughter made it through unscathed, Senna and Tonraq both embraced their daughter to congratulate her, however Korra couldn't help but feel that something was off. She looked up at her father, and noticed that his eyes were mixed with emotions she couldn't identify; same with her mom. They seemed happy, yet so sad, as if their worst fears had manifested right before them.

"Are...are you disappointed in me?" she asked uneasily.

_Do they think I'm one of them now? And not their daughter?_

Tonraq and Senna looked at each other only for a moment, but Tonraq spoke without hesitation, conviction heavy in his voice.

"Never." He patted Korra on her head, just as he used to when she was younger, a flicker of the old strength returning to him as he grinned, putting aside his own feelings of seeing his only daughter dressed in the uniform of his people's greatest enemy.

"Honey, we're so proud of you. We always have been, don't think otherwise." Senna embraced Korra again, this time firmly, to her daughter's joy.

"I always knew you were born a fighter Korra." Tonraq remarked proudly.

Korra eyes beamed with excitement, as though she could barely contain the news. "The warden spoke to me."

The mere mention of the man brought a shiver to Senna's spine.

Ignoring the gesture, she continued. "He told me that you guys can move out of this cell block and settle in the colony. Isn't that awesome?!"

Senna and Tonraq exchanged another uneasy glance at each other.

"That...that sounds lovely dear." Senna smiled weakly.

Tonraq felt uneasy too knowing fully well that transplanting them to the colony was another way for the warden to tighten his control over their daughter. It knawed at him to be used as a pawn against his own daughter, but there was little else they could do.

Worse yet, he knew that Korra thought that what she was doing would eventually lead to their freedom. It could be true, he thought, but at what cost?

"Are you sure this is what you want Korra?" Tonraq asked softly.

Korra was confused. Wasn't this what her parents wanted?

"I'm positive," she re-affirmed.

Senna and Tonraq didn't reply, an awkward silence descending in the room.

_Please. Please don't look at me like that. _Korra thought, but she quickly steeled herself, pushing those weak thoughts out. It was a useful skill, something her instructors had beaten into her time and time again.

Her resolve had to be strong. She had sworn she would go down this path, to do whatever it takes to get her parents out of the compound.

_If it means that you have to look at me like that everyday, then so be it._

Sensing the awkward tension in the air, Tonraq was quick to cut the silence, some of his old energy returning to him. "If that is truly your decision, then we won't stand in the way." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'll start packing!"

Korra smiled. "Thanks, dad! I'll help."

As Korra helped her parents pack, an unexpected feeling of exhaustion soon came over her, as though the trials of the day had finally caught up with her body. For one brief, horrifying moment, it was almost as if her Fire Nation armor was more like an unwelcome burden rather than the great prize she had dedicated over half her life to winning.

She shook her head, banishing that unwelcome thought from her mind.

_This is the right decision. I won't give up now._

Korra remembered the countless times her parents had protected her as a child, and how much they had both suffered and sacrificed for her. She resolved to give her parents a better life.

If she worked hard enough, maybe one day she could help them escape this wretch colony and provide them with the kind of comforts they had only dream of.

With that in mind, she diligently continued to help her parents pack.

* * *

It didn't take long before Tonraq and Senna settled themselves in the colony, which was a small port settlement located a few miles away from the prison. Senna and Tonraq could hardly believe it at first, having never set foot on the fresh snow or glacial ice for years. Praying to the spirits everyday for the safety of their daughter, they began rebuilding the life they left behind all those years ago in their village.

In the meantime, Private Second Class Korra reported for duty.

To Korra's disappointment, the life of a soldier seemed more mundane than glorious.

The most exciting part of the days was when the Fire Navy Cruisers docked at the harbor, bringing in new prisoners to the compound. It was part of Korra's duties to process them and escort them to their cells. The majority of them were water tribe, rebels or raiders who made the mistake of presuming that a far off outpost of the Phoenix Empire was easy pickings. Most of them looked defeated, their spirits crushed after having been captured, but there were a few defiant glares that came her way, as if the fight hadn't gone out of them yet. She ignored them, having faced worse from some of her own 'comrades' in arms.

She also found that with the rank in the colonial army, came obligations; namely training and patrolling. For the first few weeks, she soon found herself having less and less time to spend with her family. The Warden drew up more intense drills for his troops, occupying her even more. The man was meticulous; wanting nothing but the best body of soldiers in the South Pole to further impress the visiting masters and generals.

Although it was the warden who drew up the drills, it was the sergeants who carried them out; The very same ones that she had humiliated in the Agni Kai. And to Korra's dismay, they were a little more 'creative' in interpreting the warden's orders. The warden had devised a training schedule to include close quarters combat exercises; which meant no firebending. The intention was to give soldiers more ways of fighting on the battlefield and was instituted as a requirement by the Phoenix Lord following the Day of the Black Sun, where many soldiers lost their lives simply because they weren't able to properly defend themselves without their bending.

To the sergeants' minds, these drills involved putting their favourite Water Tribe private through several consecutive bouts of fighting with no rest or water.

"Is that the best you got, _Second Class_?"

Korra's opponent taunted her as he spat in her general direction, assuming an aggressive fighting stance. He was a medium sized teen, roughly her age, but his muscular physique was evident on his bare back and chest. She didn't know his name, only that he was one of the 'native' firebending recruits favored by Sergeant Rho, the man who had made the last ten years of her life a living hell. She thought that beating him at the Agni Kai would at least humble him, or make him respect her, but all it did was make him more petty and cruel.

Sweat dripped down Korra's chin as she gathered her senses, the last punch sending her head spinning. She was bruised and battered all over, having beaten at least three other boys before this round. Her previous opponents had figured that without her firebending, she would be helpless in physical combat; their natural advantage in strength too much of an obstacle for the little watertribe girl to handle.

How wrong they were.

Korra's reply to the taunt came in an instant as she sidestepped away from the private's punch. Thrown forward by his own momentum, the private found Korra grabbing the back of his head, slamming his forehead down onto her kneecap. The impact sent shockwaves of pain through her already bruised body, but it hurt her opponent more. Her first opponents easily underestimated her; despite their advantage in brute strength, she was more agile and fluid in her movements, and she used it to her full advantage.

Rho meanwhile, kept an eye on her. One flicker of flame and she knew the Sergeant would have an excuse to discipline her for cheating.

Around them, soldiers from both sides were cheering them on; many of the colonials siding with their 'champion', Korra, while most of those on her opponent's side were Fire Nation nationals, like Sergeant Rho.

Korra seemed to be getting the upper hand once again, on the fourth opponent he had matched against her.

"Sarge, I think she's had enough," one of the corporals remarked uneasily.

Rho sneered in response. "Last fight Water Tribe. You gotta earn your break."

The private smirked, rubbing his cheek as he braced himself for another rush. Unbeknownst to Korra, a small gathering of fire nation boys started forming in the crowd behind her, sinister intent written all over their faces.

"What's wrong chump?" Korra said boastfully, "Had enough?"

The private snarled in reply, charging straight at Korra in rage.

Before Korra could react, she suddenly felt a sudden burst of pain running up the back of her leg, causing her to stagger. Turning around, she saw that one of the fire nation boys had swung a metal pole at her left calf. The distraction was just enough for the private to close the distance, and Korra felt the wind get knocked out of her as he delivered a solid kick to her gut. The colonial spectators shouted in outrage at the offender, while the Fire Nation convicts hooted in derision. Sergeant Rho didn't care. He smiled with relish, his pleasure naked for everyone to see.

Korra clutched her mid-section in pain, and before she knew it her face made contact with the floor, her cheek scratching on the cold stone of the fighting arena.

"And down goes Water Tribe." Rho exclaimed proudly.

A few of the recruits cheered at the gratuitous violence but most of the soldiers were silent. Only Rho's favorites seemed to be the ones taking any enjoyment out of it.

Korra saw one of the colonial's boots stepping down in front of her, and she saw another girl bending over to help her up.

"No!" Rho barked. "This isn't a team bonding exercise. If she has what it takes to stay in this army, she gets up by herself."

The colonial, too frightened by the sergeant, meekly went back to stand in the crowd.

"Is this how you get your kicks Rho? Ganging up on colonial girls?"

Heavy metal boots rang on the stone floor, and all eyes turned to the other end of the room towards the newcomer. He was adorned in the heavy combat armor of a Fire Nation soldier. His armor was raven black, lined with the crimson red of the Fire Nation, while his expression was hidden behind the standard issue helmet and skull faceplate.

"It's none of your business."

"This isn't a training," the soldier protested, "It's a lynching." He walked up to Rho as if to challenge him."

"I'll be the judge of that." Rho replied coldly. The intefering sergeant had the sound of a kid to him, and if there was one thing that he disliked more than colonials, it was being talked down to by junior sergeants.

The armored soldier watched as Korra struggled to prop herself up on all fours. She was worse for the wear, but otherwise still functional. But the scraps and bruises on her body simply ticked him off even more.

"So you have your recruits fight to show off," the soldier continued coldly. "Not to practice and improve? Is that it?"

"I'm teaching them a fundamental lesson in war." Rho's voice was dripping with disrespect. "That you do anything to win. It's the Fire Nation way. Otherwise, she shouldn't have set foot in the practice ring in the first place."

"Now get out of my sight before I report you to your superior."

"You can take it up with my lieutenant." the soldier countered firmly. "I'm a sergeant of the Southern Raiders, and he would agree with me. My word is worth more than a coward who spends his time bullying penal battalion recruits."

He then pointed to Korra on the ground, who stared at the newcomer with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

"Besides, I'm sure the warden would love to hear about how you're treating his prized student."

Rho grunted as the rest of the soldiers watched on how he would react to being called a coward. But the armored soldier knew the measure of his opponent, and it wasn't long until Rho simply barked at the soldiers to dismiss, leaving Korra behind.

"Medical. Get me a medical troop," the armored figure hissed, the disgust still evident in his voice.

Before Korra could say anything, even a thank you, she collapsed, her world suddenly dissolving into white.

* * *

The first thing Korra remembered feeling was the gentle breeze of the wind on her face, throwing her side ponytails s across her face and irritating her nose. She opened her eyes, giving them an experimental blink as she adjusted to the night sky. The sky was clear in the South Pole this night, with all the stars laid out in the black sky in a brilliant kaleidoscope of light. _Just_ h_ow long was I out?_

A hand gently caressed the light scar on her face, brushing away a strand of her hair that had fallen onto her cheek, dishevelled.

"Welcome back," the armored sergeant began, "I was wondering how long it'd take."

"Where...where am I?"

"The medical station in the compound. Sorry they had to put you out here, but with our casualties from the last raid, the med station was pretty full. They figured a water tribe girl like yourself wouldn't mind a little cool night air."

Korra, so used to having her instructors belittle her for her water tribe heritage, wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult, so she just said nothing. The sergeant was obviously much kinder than Rho (heck, even a_n enraged Komodo Rhino was kinder)_, so she supposed he didn't mean it that way.

"Th...Thanks." Korra wanted to get up, but a sharp spike of pain in her ribs made her regret the decision. Looking down at her torso, she saw that she was heavily bandaged there as well. _Okay. Probably best to not move for a while._ "Thanks for helping me back there, I'm private Korra, Second Class." She frowned a bit when she mentioned that second part, it had a disappointing ring to it.

The armored sergeant nodded, "I'm Sergeant Mako of the Southern Raiders."

He took off his faceplate and helmet, and Korra got her first look at her would-be rescuer. He had a thin face, black hair as well as kinked eyebrows that gave him a very distinct look. There was also an aura of confidence and seriousness to him, probably due to his rank as a sergeant. Another thing Korra didn't notice until now was that under his helmet, he sported a red scarf that now fluttered freely in the winter breeze.

"I'm sorry for what they did to you back there." Mako offered. "That was the most disgraceful thing I've ever seen. Rho was always a coward and a bully, I just never saw him go that far before. I just want you to know that not all of us are like that. Some of us actually want to help our comrades get better."

_Comrades. _That was a weird word to use in the Fire Nation Military, at least for Korra, she hadn't felt anything close to comraderie with her fellow recruits.

"Why me?" Korra muttered softly. That single question probably summarized her thoughts on her entire life.

"He figured you were a colonial, and therefore easy pickings," Mako explained, "Men like him like to feel big by bullying those who can't fight back."

"I fought back." She chuckled through gritted teeth.

"Yeah," Mako agreed, "Did you ever. I saw you take down three of those seasoned sergeants at once at the Agni Kai. You're something special. Rho just hates that – knowing a colonial got the better of him."

"I'm special alright." Korra muttered, lying back down and giving her sore ribs a break. "I beat three sergeants and the most they give me is a promotion to private second class."

"It gets better." Mako reassured her. "Trust me, I'm from the colonies too, and now look at me. I'm a sergeant." He grinned as he pointed at the sergeants stripes on his armor.

"Really?" Korra was genuinely surprised. "Where from?"

"Yu Dao." Mako replied, staring into the distant ocean with an almost forlorn look on his face. "One of the first Fire Nation colonies. My father was a Fire Nation soldier, my mother was from the Earth Kingdom."

"So wait..." Korra inquired, "You can earthbend?"

Mako chuckled softly at that remark. "No, but my brother can. Earthbenders aren't allowed into the armed forces, but he's managing himself alright back at New Ozai."

Korra at that point couldn't help but wonder just how much of the world Mako had seen. All her life the only world she knew were the four walls of her prison cell, which then expanded to the four walls of the compound. One day, she promised herself, she would see the world, along with her parents, just like Mako had done for his own family. She could only guess how wonderful it must be to live in majestic cities such as New Ozai and Yu Dao.

Sensing it was time to go, Mako gave Korra a quick pat on her shoulder.

"Anyways, I gotta report back to duty. Take care of yourself okay? Don't let Sergeant 'Stuck-Up' bully you too much. One day, you can look at him straight in the eye with the stripes on your armor, and there wouldn't be a thing in the world he could do about it."

"That day can't come soon enough." Korra smiled as she watched Mako put on the faceless helmet again, so that Mako was once again the one in a million grunts that patrolled the camp.

She was bruised, hungry and tired, but it wasn't a total waste of a day in Korra's mind; at least she made a friend somewhere here in this cold desolate place.

* * *

The warden sat at his desk, reviewing the latest reports on the intake of prisoners into his compound. As he scanned the documents, his mind wandered to the reports his sergeants gave him regarding his star pupil, Private Korra. Word was that she had been severly injured in a fight, but only after taking down three previous opponents.

It was that kind of fighting spirit he admired, and desperately needed for his own security forces. And he felt a strange sort of fatherly pride as he recalled her growth. It only seemed like yesterday when she was a small child, when he first saw her potential as a firebender. Now, she was the equivalent of an elite firebender in his eyes. By all rights, she should have been made a corporal, but he remembered the lessons his own father had taught him, during his time when he ran an Earthbending prison on an oil rig.

_Don't give these colonials too much praise or rewards, it will go to their heads. Best keep them humble and have them work harder to earn it._

His own father was a good mentor when it came to running the camps, but he was too lenient, and that was his downfall. He would break his prisoners completely if need be, so that he would have a clean slate to work on training the perfect army of colonial soldiers. Obedient, fearful, and always aiming to please their fatherly masters.

Korra would be his ticket out of the prison compound, he just knew it. Once Phoenix Lord Azula saw the results of his colonial program, then she would want a trainer of his caliber running the barracks in the Imperial Capital, or perhaps even allow him access to the training secrets of her famed bodyguards. The Sentinels.

Controlling her was another question, but there was really no doubt where the key to that lay. He had made sure to have his men keep tabs on her parents at all times, lest they try anything extreme.

He chuckled softly, knowing that her father had already been taken care of in advance, his spirit was already broken years ago. There would be no more disruptions.

The future looked bright indeed.

* * *

**Huge thanks to Ninja-Curry-Girl once again for beta'ing :) And to all the favs, follows and reviews!**

Swiftangel: Thanks! Glad you like it :)

Jokermask: I'll endeavour to make my chapters more easily consumable :) thanks again for the review!

IcarusOwl: And more you shall get!

KataraOrAnythingz: Thanks! :D

tlotd: I hope the chapter answered your question to your liking :) Yes this world has so much potential, i'm already at a loss deciding where i'll take this. I think i'll let the story evolve as it goes. There will be an explanation for the gap, and yes, Senraq is awesome!


	3. The Wolf Tail Raiders

_**Chapter 3 : The Wolf Tail Raiders **_

* * *

The wind howled through the frozen landscape, carving an icy path through the numerous frozen mountains and valleys like a sleet of knives. The snow was falling down so thick that a person would have found it impossible to see anything further than ten feet in front of them. To top it all off, it was a murderously cold blizzard; even the polar bear dogs and the tiger seals elected to stay under their burrows rather than risk walking outside.

The Fire Nation kept all their troops back at base in the times of these blizzards, reasonably assuming that a person would have to be insane to step outside at this time of the season.

Which was what made it the perfect time for hunting and reconnaissance.

Boots crunched heavily on the fresh snow as the two figures struggled their way against the snowstorm, with each new step a challenge in itself. They wore the dark blue armor of the water tribe, lined with fur as well as wearing headgear that resembled a wolf's head, with water tribe spears as weapons.

The two figures, accompanied by an arctic wolf, carried themselves quite well in the raging storm, having grown up in these harsh environments in the North Pole. The lead figure was a teenager, seventeen years of age and well built, his dark skin denoting his Water Tribe heritage.

Noatak didn't know what irritated him more at the moment, the howling snowstorm, being selected to scout this desolate tundra, or having to watch out for his little brother, who insisted on coming along for the ride. Even in the roaring winds, he could still hear Tarrlok's deep breathing and panting as he struggled with each step.

The wolf growled a warning to Noatak, and he slowed down cautiously, kneeling to take a look, a dark shape appearing far off in the distance in the blizzard.

"It's okay Kodiak, it's just a polar bear dog, we leave it alone, and it'll leave us alone." Noatak gave the wolf a gentle pet on the head.

For as long as he could remember, Kodiak had been a faithful friend and companion to both Noatak and Tarrlok. He first found the wolf alone in the tundra during his bloodbending lessons with his father, abandoned by his pack. Although Noatak eventually got used to the idea of bloodbending living animals, he somehow could not bring himself to harm the young pup, who had a fierce and solitary look to his eyes that reminded him a lot of himself. It was as though they were kindred spirits.

"You should head back," Noatak said in a concerned, almost parental tone to Tarrlok. "The blizzard's only going to get harder from here."

Tarrlok, his younger brother, shook his head furiously. "You're here, I should be here to help too."

That sounded more like something Yakone would say rather than Tarrlok, who always seemed miserable when it came to his duties. At that moment, Noatak silently cursed his father for having so frightened his little brother. For as long as he could remember, their father had always pushed them to become the perfect warriors, forcing them to practice day in and day out, usually to the point of threats. They were destined, he told them, to bring down the Fire Nation and avenge his defeat at their hands. It sounded like he viewed his sons more as living weapons than his own flesh and blood. Noatok did fine enough under his brutal tutelage, but Yakone always found something wrong with Tarrlok, and there were nights when they finished training, that his little brother would come into his room with bruises all over him and tears in his eyes. It made him feel angry and helpless at the same time.

Sometimes, he caught himself wishing that they hadn't been born waterbenders, so that Yakone would go back to the kindly and warm father he had known when he was younger. But he knew those days were gone forever. Gone and buried by the war.

"We'll scout a little further today," Noatak offered. "Then we'll report back to camp."

"I can keep going," Tarrlok insisted.

"That's not the point!" Noatak snapped, which brought shock to his younger brother's face and even made Kodiak twitch in surprise. Noatak was very protective of his little brother, who he knew endured the harshest of his father's punishments. Even going back to the days when they were kids, Noatak had always stood up for his brother, who could hardly defend himself against his father's wrath. Eventually, over the years, Noatak accepted the responsibility, the burden, of becoming everything his father wanted him to be, to do what his father had wanted to do, and to watch over his younger brother.

"I'm sorry," Tarrlok replied miserably, as if he had made a mistake.

Noatak sighed. He loved his younger brother, and he didn't want to think of him as a burden. That was something their father – Yakone – would think. But he didn't want him getting himself hurt because of those damned thoughts their father planted into their heads.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Noatak assured. "I'm just saying you don't have to do this, Tarrlok. Father's not here, he's in the North Pole being safe and warm. You shouldn't have to risk your neck like this."

"But you are." Tarrlok replied more firmly, with a strength behind his voice that wasn't there before. "Dad's not here, but you're doing all the risky missions, facing all the dangers for him."

Noatak chuckled at that last remark, maybe there's hope for his brother yet. "True, but that's because I'm trained. I'm three years older than you. And I'm the most experienced tracker in our squad."

"You're not making me go back are you?"

Noatak had considered it for a brief moment, but ultimately shook his head.

_I'm not like him._ He thought fiercely.

"I'm not going to. You're old enough to make your own decisions."

A look of apprehension came over Tarrlok's face, followed by an awkward silence.

Noatak sighed. "Come on. We've got a lot more ground to cover. You too, Kodiak."

The wolf barked in response, and Tarrlok nodded, shivering as he tucked his parka around his armor. Again for the hundredth time, he wondered how his brother could be so strong.

* * *

The hours dragged on as the brothers continued scouting. They had passed by the snow-covered ruins of another water tribe village. The only thing left were tattered pieces of wood and cloth. The old snow walls and igloos reduced to simple mounds of snow.

It seemed like a dead land, devoid of any signs of life.

Then, the snow turned black, and Kodiak began growling, sensing the hostile presence ahead.

It covered the tundra for miles around, and even in the middle of the howling blizzard Noatak knew they were getting close. The sounds of heavy machinery echoed in the distance, where the image of several dark towering spires and thousands of lights pierced through the snowstorm. In the distant ocean, the towering smoke stacks of the Fire Navy cruisers were visible at dock.

They had found the Fire Nation base.

Noatak gestured for Tarrlok to get down, and the pair cautiously approached, climbing up to a cliff's edge that overlooked the prison and harbour.

"I didn't think the South Pole would look like this. This place looks totally different from back home." Tarrlok said uneasily.

"If the war continues, then the North Pole will look like this as well. That's why we run these raids." Noatak explained. "Whatever occupies them in the South Pole will give them less time to focus on the North."

Noatak turned around, nodding towards Tarrlok. "We've done our job here, let's report back to our camp and plan for the attack."

* * *

With the fall of the Earth Kingdom, and the victory of the Fire Nation, it did not take long before the wrath of the Fire Lord descended upon the Northern Water Tribe, which had dealt the Fire Nation one of its rare defeats in the Hundred Year War with the help of Avatar Aang. In a few years time, a second invasion force, this one much bigger than the failed invasion of Admiral Zhao's, attacked the Northern Tribe. Phoenix King Ozai personally wanted to make an example of the Water Tribe city, for having dared defied his will.

At that time, Councilman – then General – Sokka and Master Katara did all they could to hold back the hordes of Fire Nation soldiers, fighting bravely to lead their people to safety, but in the end it was not enough. With the Avatar out of the way and the Water Tribe army weakened from the Invasion of the Black Sun, the Northern Capital fell much faster, although the fighting was twice as hard and desperate.

It was during that famous battle, Yakone had told Noatok, that he was born. Within a literal storm of ice and fire.

After the battle, Sokka and Katara had led the refugees, both Northern and Southern tribes, to safety. With the tribes scattered, their cities destroyed, Sokka and Katara eventually led their people to found a new capital, Yue City, one which united both sister tribes into the newly forged Water Nation. Old habits die hard however, along with tribal links and ties, and many warriors still referred to themselves as the old water tribes.

Still, it did not change the fact that Yue City was the last bastion of hope for waterbenders in the world, and its location remained a closely guarded secret, one that the Phoenix Empire had worked the last two decades to uncover, and one that waterbenders everywhere would defend to the death.

Since then, the only presence the Water Tribe had in the world were the raids, attacking random isolated Fire Nation outposts around the world for supplies. They were a special elite, formed by Councilman Sokka himself from the Invasion of the Black Sun, and they called themselves the Wolf Tail Raiders. The Fire Navy treated them little better than pirates, which was not far from the truth, although they made it a policy to only attack Fire Nation ships. It was the only way Yue City could scrounge up enough supplies to feed its remaining citizens.

It was a dangerous task, being a Wolf Tail Raider, and only the most independent and tough waterbenders could handle it.

In Tarrlok's mind, that was probably why they chose Noatak.

Noatak was a natural genius; a prodigy who mastered his waterbending forms as the young age of fourteen. He also completed the Southern Water Tribe's rite of passage, Ice Dodging, a year ahead of the boys in his group. Everything seemed to come easy to his brother, whether it was learning a new weapon, mastering a new waterbending technique, or taming an Arctic Wolf.

He had always looked up to his brother, but at the same time, he was also a little afraid of him, even if he didn't admit it. Noatak was a good natured and fair person to be sure, but under different circumstances, he could be cold as ice, especially when he was fighting. It was like he turned into someone else.

His train of thought was quickly interrupted as he bumped into his brother's back. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice he had stopped.

"You could have warned me you know," Tarrlok said in annoyance, but Noatak shushed him, his hand raised in warning.

"Is it the enemy?" Tarrlok whispered.

"No," Noatak replied. "Just an old wreck."

Tarrlok took a peek beside his brother's arm, and saw it for the first time.

This was his first trip outside the North Pole, so he didn't have much experience with Fire Navy ships, but it was impossible to mistake the large battleship locked in the ice in front of them as anything else. It was a large iron hulled ship with a spiked prow and smokestacks. From the looks of it, it had been out of commission for some time, but it still towered over the landscape, a reminder of the Fire Nation raids that destroyed the Southern Tribes. It looked abandoned, decrepit – the only movements were the fluttering of old flags and loose ropes.

More importantly, it offered protection from the storm.

"Come on, we'll stay there for now," Noatak ordered. "The journey back will take us at least another day."

"I don't know Noatak..." Tarrlok replied, the black towering shape in the blizzard was already making his blood run cold. "It looks scary."

"You're a Wolf Tail Raider, Tarrlok," Noatak replied gruffly, "And you're strong. You can handle it."

"You think so?"

"I know so," he replied encouragingly. "Besides, you have me here. Nothing will hurt us," he said with a confidence that reassured his little brother.

The inside of the Fire Navy ship was dark and icy, as if no one had entered its corridors for the last hundred years. Tarrlok walked behind his brother nervously as he observed the decades old machinery and pipes. He half expected something to jump out of the shadows at them.

"Looks comfy enough," Noatak commented stoically.

"When do you think was the last time someone was in here?" Tarrlok asked, eager for any distraction to take his mind off the imaginery shadows he saw along the walls.

"Probably not for a while." Noatak scratched his chin in contemplation. "The Fire Nation started raiding the Southern Tribes decades ago. Our brothers and sisters must have raised this ship off the ice."

Eventually, the three of them settled for a cabin near the ship's bridge, which they surmised had belonged to the former captain. A frozen mattress lay in the center of the cold steel room. Tarrlok yawned as he collapsed on the bed, exhausted from having kept up pace with his brother all day.

"Get some sleep, Tarrlok, we'll need our strength in the morning."

Tarrlok was already snoring.

"Guess first watch is ours, boy." Noatak grumbled, gently patting his wolf companion on the head. Taking up his spear, he sat down at the captain's chair by the doorway, and guarded the doorway. Kodiak, loyal as always, settled down comfortably next to his master's feet. The darkness of the ship was making it hard to see, and Noatak contemplated whether or not he should've started a fire. He yawned softly. _Maybe I'll think about it tomorrow._

* * *

It didn't take long before Kodiak started barking, jolting both brothers to consciousness.

Noatak jumped up, spear at the ready. While Tarrlok yawned as he sat up. "What's going on?"

"Time to go!" the older brother shouted as he got to his feet, putting a spear in Tarrlok's hands. Footsteps echoed through the ship, mixed in with the yelling of several men and women. They had been discovered! Noatak silently cursed himself, of course the Fire Nation would still keep tabs on this old wreck.

"Let's move. _N__ow_, Tarrlok!" he ordered, and the youth immediately jumped up, following his brother out the door.

The two water tribe warriors were surprised to find a man in dark red and black armor standing at the doorway, the crest of a sea raven on his armor. _Southern Raiders_.

"Stay right where you are." The man levelled his spear at the two boys, then shouted down the hallway. "I found the intruders!"

The man screamed in pain as Kodiak bit him on his wrist, the spear dropping to the ground. "Get off me, you mutt!"

Noatak slammed into the man, throwing both of them against the wall. As the man was about to firebend, Noatak quickly melted the ice on the steel walls, enveloping the Firebender's arms and legs in a sleet of frozen ice. He took the shaft of his spear and quickly knocked him in the head, rendering him unconscious.

"Watch out!"

Another firebender showed up, firing a blast at Noatak, but Tarrlok bent the snow on the floor into a makeshift wall, stopping the fireball. Another wave of his hands sent the wave of snow crashing towards the Firebender soldier, who screamed as it plowed him through into the next room like an avalanche. The solid crunch of metal on ice told him that the soldier at least broke a limb in the slide.

Tarrlok watched the scene in disbelief, but Noatak punched his brother lightly on the shoulder. "Told ya you were strong! Come on, let's get out of here."

As the duo rounded the corner, a net shot at both of them from above, pinning the brothers down as they struggled to get free.

"Run, Kodiak! Get out of here!" Noatak waved at his wolf companion, who barked in protest but several more fireblasts eventually convinced the wolf to flee.

To Noatak's disappointment, he watched as several more firebenders came out of the woodwork, with at least half a dozen figures appearing from their hiding spots. Two of the firebenders were propping up the man that Tarrlok sent flying into the steel wall, his leg obviously broken from the force of Tarrlok's bending. The two soldiers eyed him with hatred in their eyes.

"We caught 'em sir," one of the Southern Raiders reported.

The fire nation captain nodded, inspecting his squad's catch for the day. "A lot of people think this ship was abandoned from the last they are partially Southern Raiders use this as a temporary base from time to time. It just so happens to be our lucky day when we catch a pair of Water Tribe spies loafing about in here." He sneered. "Or maybe you aren't spies. Maybe you're just pirates like the rest?"

"From what I hear, we have that in common." Noatak replied defiantly, glaring at the masked man. "Southern Raider."

The captain ignored the gibe; he had more important matters to take care of. "What I'd like to know is how a bunch of raiders from the Northern Tribe managed to make their way to the South Pole." He smirked."I think that'll make for some very interesting answers indeed."

He nodded towards his squad mates.

"Tie them up, and take them back to base. The commander will want some words with them, I'm sure."

Before Noatak and Tarrlok could even move or respond, two sword butts came into contact with their heads, knocking them backwards and into the darkness.

* * *

**Once again, thanks to Ninja-Curry-girl for her awesome beta'ing!**

**Jokermask18:** Thanks, but who said this is a Makorra fic? ;) I actually haven't decided on a final pairing, so i'll let the story evolve as it goes**  
**

**IcarusOwl:** Thanks a lot :) I really appreciate the review!

**M0b1uz:** Zuko, and the rest of the Gaang, will come in good time ;)


	4. Heart of Fire

_**Chapter 4: Heart of Fire  
**_

* * *

Korra grunted as she raised her _jian_ to parry the thrust of the spear. The sword rang as it impacted the spear blade. Her opponent was nimble, experienced, easily sidestepping her attacks while parrying the ones that did land. At this moment, she regretted choosing the _jian_ over the spear, but she guessed that was the reason why she needed weapons training. Around them stood other members of the Southern Raiders, their spears and _jians _held high in a respectful salute as they watched the duel. In the crowd was also one of the Firebending masters who watched her from her Agni Kai, the one with the sword at his side.

"You need to be quicker. Focus." Mako said patiently as they circled each other, weapons at the ready. Not surprisingly, that was exactly the opposite of what was going on in Korra's mind. It was frustrating how easily Mako had countered her blows; even more infuriating was the fact that she knew he was purposely holding back, as though she were not worth the effort.

It was Mako who pitched the idea of having Korra train with the Southern Raiders. It was an easy sell to the warden, who was pleased to have such an elite and renowned unit pay attention to his star pupil. It also quickly occurred to him that despite Korra being one of the top firebenders in the compound, the warden never thought of giving her formal trainings in weapons. Something he had hoped to correct.

Roughly, if necessary.

"Oof!" Korra fell back unceremoniously as Mako suddenly attacked, parrying the sword aside and hitting the side of her ribs with the shaft of the spear.

"The sword is an extension of your body," Mako said patiently, "Treat it as such."

"Very profound, _Sifu_ Mako, did you come up with it yourself?" she smirked, a bit tired from the exchange but still raring to go.

"As a matter of fact, I was taught by a great master," he said, slightly irritated, but nonetheless enjoying the friendly spar. He had spent all morning showing her the basic forms of all the weapons, _jians_, dual daos and spears. Although Korra was not a natural at any of the weapons, she had a very aggressive style that suited her, always aiming to throw her opponents off balance. That was partly why he recommended the _jian_ to her, since that was a weapon most commonly used in conjunction with firebending.

"I can't believe they never taught you weapons," he remarked as they circled each other again, exchanging another parry of blows. "You'll need to know more if you even want be more than just a common prison guard."

That last bit stung more Mako than probably intended. _I'll show him common prison guard._

She charged forward, both hands on the hilt of her sword, but Mako sidestepped out of the way, swinging the length of his spear at Korra's back. Korra however caught the counter-attack, ducking and doing a sweeping kick that forced Mako back. Her sword was back up on guard.

"You have great potential," Mako commented with approval in his voice. "But we'll keep working on this day in and day out. An enemy can smell someone who's green, and you're still as green as they come." Mako at least, wasn't taking pleasure in inflicting pain and humiliation on his trainees like Rho, but at the same time Korra hated losing with a burning passion; she would show him.

"Gee, thanks _sergeant._" Korra muttered.

"Just stating the obvious," Mako replied nonchalantly, standing his spear by his side. "You'll just have deal with it for now."

"_You _deal with it," she huffed, then to everyone's surprise, the blades of the swords began heating up. Sensing the danger, Mako quickly brought his spear up to guard, but Korra had already closed the distance, sliding under Mako's spear thrust, she jumped up and took another swing towards Mako; producing a bright wheel of flame that would have burnt his head had he not ducked under the blade. With Mako down, Korra reversed her _jian_, and sent the hilt of the sword slamming into his chest, sending Mako reeling backwards onto the floor, surprise and slight embarrassment written all over his face.

"Aw yeah!" Korra celebrated, raising her sword into the air. "How's THAT for ya?"

"Not bad." Mako quickly composed himself, standing up and bowing to his opponent. Korra, realizing the formality of the gesture, quickly did the same.

"Does everything come this easy to you?" he remarked. Firebending with a sword was an advanced technique, which required a combination of proficiency with both firebending and weapons training. There was something special and different about her, Mako thought, to be able to even grasp the basics of that so quickly.

"You're just embarrassed that I got you." Korra stuck out her tongue playfully.

"It usually helps a recruit's confidence knowing they can land a hit, consider that your freebie," he replied.

"Riiiight," Korra smirked.

Mako quickly dusted himself off, and just as Korra was ready to turn her weapon (still smoking) in, Mako shook his head.

"Keep it. This _jian _suits you. Have it as a token of your training with the Southern Raiders. We wouldn't want a fellow soldier of the Fire Nation to go into battle under equipped."

Korra's eyes widened in gratitude as Mako handed the blade back to her. It was nothing fancy for sure, a standard fighting _jian_, but it was _hers!_ Aside from the clothes and armor she wore on her back, and whatever blankets her family had kept in the cells, she didn't really know what it was like to own something. It was a exhilarating feeling, and she treasured it.

"Thanks, Mako. I'll do my best to make sure I won't let you down."

"That's sergeant, private Korra." Mako said sternly causing Korra to flinch a bit, but he quickly lightened up when he got the reaction he wanted from Korra. "And you're welcome, I'm sure you'll make a fine soldier of the Fire Nation."

Korra's eyes beamed at the praise, knowing that she was just one step closer to the day when she can rub it in Rho's face.

* * *

Meanwhile, above the proceedings from the crowd, from a private balcony, the three masters watched in silence as Korra and the Southern Raiders were dismissed from the weapons drill. Heavy robes covered their faces and identities.

"Brings back memories, does it not?" the first master remarked.

"Yes, it does," the second master said, somewhat sadly. "And not too many good ones either."

"Do you believe it's her?" the third, and final master, asked cryptically. Out of the three, he had the least knowledge of the identity of their target.

"I cannot say for sure," the second master remarked, scratching his beard in contemplation. "But who else can it be?"

"I am confident," the first master replied, grim focus in his voice, "That she is the one we've been searching for."

The third master nodded. "Even so, it is too risky to make a move now. We will bide our time, and wait for an opportune moment."

"Agreed."

* * *

Korra couldn't help but feel invincible as she strutted around the colony with her new sword. Needless to say, Senna and Tonraq were less than enthusiastic. Korra could tell by the look of shock and fear written all over their faces when they saw her. Any parent would be when they see their teenage daughter coming home with a blade that could cut a person into two, but they were nonetheless supportive of her. Tonraq even took the time to show her a few water tribe moves on how to fight with a spear, hoping that it would one day save her life. To his delight, the years of prison didn't seem to make him too rusty, and there were a few times where he managed to knock Korra down onto the snow with his strong parries.

"Not too shabby, dad," Korra laughed, as she took her father's strong hand, lifting her back up to her feet. "You fight better than the sergeant."

"You can't teach water tribe ingenuity, you're born with it. And I gotta say, you have bucket loads of it." He punched her lightly on the shoulder, both of them laughing before finally sitting down in their backyard, sharing some sea prunes while they watched the harbour, where half a dozen of the Fire Navy cruisers that patrolled the South Pole docked.

It was a gloomy sight. But one that Korra had gotten used to it by now.

"So, I never really got to ask. How are you guys settling in town?" Korra had never really had a chance to actually sit down with her family since being accepted into the army, and she knew it was hard on both her parents, just as it was hard on her.

"We're doing fine." He smiled, touched by her concern. "Your mother managed to make some friends with the neighbors, and I'm getting along fine with some of the other townspeople. I managed to get some work hunting."

"That's great news!" Korra was genuinely happy and proud that she was able to secure their freedom from of that horrible prison. She turned her gaze back to the harbor, and the seemingly never ending ocean beyond, remembering the words that Mako had shared with her during their first meeting.

"Ever wonder what the world out there is like, dad?"

"All the time Kor," Tonraq said with a slightly sad tone. "I had a chance to get you away from all this...to the Northern Tribe. Looking back at it now, I can't help but feel like I could have done just that." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Korra, that we weren't able to give you a better life."

Korra didn't reply at first, feeling the overwhelming burden in his voice. When she was old enough, Tonraq and Senna had told her everything; how they had once been a part of the Southern Water Tribe, and how her father had fought against the Fire Nation; even down to the failed escape attempt they had tried to pull with her years ago when she started her training. She was too young to remember, only recalling bits and pieces, but she could remember how she felt, having seen her father months later, so withered and broken. How helpless she had been and how weak she had been.

She didn't blame her parents. She knew they did all he could to protect her, to make sure she could be safe.

It was her turn now.

"Don't blame yourself, dad. You both raised me just fine. This is the life I want, dad. For myself." She smiled softly, giving him a hug. "I couldn't thank you both enough for everything you've done for me."

Tonraq visible shook as his daughter embraced him, but he relented.

"Thanks, Korra. Just promise me you'll take care of yourself, okay? It's hard enough on your mother every day seeing you leave."

"I promise." She smiled, tightening her embrace. "Love you dad."

"Love you too, Korra," Tonraq replied, his voice filled with pride for his daughter. It was unjust, he thought, how so much of her life had been a struggle. He prayed to the spirits that she would find one day find more to her life than just becoming another pawn of the Fire Nation.

* * *

They had hauled him inside a tank.

At least, Noatak thought it was, he could tell as much from the jolting motion of the metal platform on the soft snow, as well as the engines, roaring like banshees in the wind. It was his first time he had been inside one of the vehicles, but he knew it was one of the mainstays of the Fire Nation army, used for fighting in all types of terrain; mountain, desert, and even tundra.

Fortunately, he was shielded from the snow by a metallic hatch, leaving him in the darkness. Through the think sleet of metal, he heard the laughing and cackling of several Fire Nation soldiers. He didn't know how long he was out for – only that he was gagged while his hands and feet were tied together rather tightly. A sharp pain burned in his side, almost as though he had cracked a rib. It was obvious the Fire Nation soldiers weren't gentle with him or his brother.

_Brother!_ Where was Tarrlok?

Noatak quickly turned his head side to side, but no one else was in the sled with him. He tried to calm himself, focusing on the darkness around him for a sound. A whimper, a cry, even there was nothing –nothing but the roar of the snow and the shouts of the soldiers.

Cold fear gripped Noatak as he began wondering what the soldiers did with his little brother. He was still young, too young to be dragged into the war like this. A sliver of guilt shot through him. The only reason Tarrlok even volunteered for this mission was because he was chosen. _He_ was the reason why his brother was thousands of miles away from home, potentially on his way to a Fire Nation prison.

He had only been in a prison once, and he had seen the broken shells they made out of even the strongest of souls. He couldn't imagine Tarrlok even lasting a week in an environment like that. He had to get him out. Before they did anything to hurt him.

_They took mother away from us. They turned my father into this...monster. I will not let the Fire Nation take Tarrlok away too!_

Raw panic surged through Noatak as he struggled even more in his bonds, but the ropes were tied too tightly.

_Calm down._

The years of training and habit, mostly beaten into him by Yakone, started to kick in. Why did they split them up? Maybe they had to load the injured Southern raider back to base first, and Tarrlok being the smaller of the two, was easier to carry. Or maybe they figured it was better to separate the two water benders, lest they team up on their guards. Either way, it meant that the Fire Nation army troops had split their strength in two. Half a dozen guards would be no problem for an elite waterbender surrounded by his element in a raging blizzard. He would bide his time.

The tank suddenly jerked to a stop, unceremoniously bumping Noatak to full consciousness. Before he knew it, the hatch blew open and he soon felt a stab of ice hit his face as he became exposed to the blizzard. It was nighttime, and the entire tundra was almost pitch black, save for the fires of his captors.

"Well, looks like our Wolf Tail has had a nice nap." The soldier smirked. He noticed that the rest of the soldiers, three of them, were busy pushing their sleds into a nearby ice cave.

"You're the lucky one. We had to drag your sorry behind with us while our comrades took the faster sleds back to headquarters. But don't you worry, another day and we'll have you set up with a permanent cell soon enough."

The Fire Nation soldier laughed with his comrades as they left Noatak in the tank,bound, gagged, and helpless. Parking the tank at the entrance of the cave, they set about building a fire inside, using their bending to light up a pack of tinders they brought along. Noatak watched with fury etched in his face as they began dividing up his and Tarrlok's rations amongst themselves. The soldiers were content to let their prisoner freeze to death in the cold steel cage of the vehicle.

Noatak felt his face numb up as the cold started to intensify, so much so that he didn't noticed that a dark shape had snuck up to the tank. It wasn't until he felt something gnawing at the ropes did he realize what was going on.

Kodiak!

The Arctic wolf gave a soft whimper as it discovered his master like this. It was obvious to Noatak that Kodiak had followed them after being captured. He took another look at the four firebenders, all huddled closely at the fire. They were too occupied with keeping themselves warm to notice the Arctic wolf jumping onto the back of their tank.

"Good boy," Noatak murmured softly through the gag in his mouth. It didn't take long before the wolf completely chewed through the ropes that tied his hands.

"Hey!" One of the firebenders, suddenly noticing the movement on their tank, shouted. "The prisoner's escaping!"

_Crap_. Noatak quickly rolled out of the tank on the snow and out of the way of several blasts of flame as they desperately tried to shoot at him.

His feet still bound, Noatak quickly swept his arms forward, propelling him back just as more fire blasts were sent at him. Another wave produced a wall of ice spikes, sending them straight at the Southern Raiders who dived out of the way. Taking one of the ice spikes in hand, Noatak cut the bonds off his feet and quickly stood up.

The other four firebenders stood in front of Noatak nervously. There was only one thing as dangerous as fighting a waterbender during a full moon, and it was fighting one during a snow storm, in the middle of a snow covered tundra.

Noatak didn't say anything. He only had a look of fixed, grim determination in his eyes. "I'll say this once, and only once. Where is my brother?"

"As if you're in a position to make demands, you tribal savage!" the firebender, a captain by the looks of it, shouted. He turned to his other three soldiers. "Attack!"

Noatak rushed forward, ignoring the fact that four firebenders were unleashing a solid stream of orange flame at him. He slid under the attacks, bending the snow on the ground into a sleet of ice to quickly close the distance. In less than a second, he had closed the gap between them and was already attacking.

Two water whips were conjured up in his hand, and he quickly wrapped it around the legs of two of the firebenders, tripping them forward as he slid past them. As they fell onto the ground, the snow around them seemed to come to life, swallowing them whole until only their helmets remained above ground, afterwards, the ground around them froze into a solid block of ice.

Nervous at having their two comrades taken down so quickly, the remaining two firebenders attacked; one of them doing a fire wheel in the air with a jumping kick, while the other knelt down to shoot a sleet of flame across the floor so that, for a split second, the floor of the cave was a literal sea of fire.

Rather than dodge, Noatak summoned the snow from the skies and the ground to form a thick ice shield around him, which quickly exploded into a flash of steam upon impact with the flame. Amidst the explosion of ice and fire, a water tendril shot out and pinned the firebender against the wall of the cave, then solidified into ice, trapping him there.

The captain, horrified at having his men taken down so easily turned towards Noatak, just in time to see the waterbender flying at him in the air, his arms covered with a layer of water.

Noatak slammed into captain, driving him into the ground and pinning his arms down with his hands, with ease, Noatak quickly bent the water around his arms into an ice shackle for the captain, pinning all four of his limbs onto the ground.

It was over.

"Pl-please!" the captain screamed, fear and panic in his voice. "Have mercy!"

Noatak gave a shout of rage as he summoned another pillar of water from the snow, this one arcing above the captain's head and into his open mouth. To his horror, the water soon forced its way down into his throat, filling his stomach and esophagus to the brim with water.

"There isn't a full moon, so I can't bend your blood," Noatak whispered darkly, with a hint of regret. "But there's more than one way to bend a person's insides." He jerked his finger slightly, and to the captain, it was like a torrent of pain was flowing through the insides of his body, ready to burst his stomach open.

"Now, let's try this again," Noatak said fiercely, "Where is my brother?"

At that question, Noatak mercifully drained the water out of the man's mouth, and the captain keeled over, coughing and almost ready to vomit.

"At…at the prison colony." He coughed weakly, pointing into the blizzard. "We took him there with our wounded."

Raw fury was still etched on Noatak's face. With another gesture, he quickly produced a wave of snow that overturned the Fire Nation tank, and sending it tumbling several dozen feet away into the rough tundra.

He gave the captain a cold stare.

"Remember this defeat. This humiliation. Know that you fought a Wolf Tail and that you lost. And if you do anything to follow me or my brother, you can be sure I won't be as merciful a second time."

The captain whimpered in exchange.

Noatak nodded to his wolf, picking up one of the water tribe spears that the Fire Nation soldiers had mockingly sparred with moments ago. "Let's go, Kodiak."

The Arctic Wolf barked in response, and the duo quickly disappeared into the blizzard. Noatak led the way, a grim determination burning in his eyes.

_Hold on little brother. I'm coming._

* * *

**Beta'ed by the awesome Curry Ninja girl :)**_  
_

**Nazgul of Xord, Jokermask18, LOKlover13, Once in a blue moon - thanks for the awesome reviews! glad you like the story! More to come soon!  
**


	5. The Prisoner

**_Chapter 5: The Prisoner_**

* * *

During the years of her illustrious career in the Fire Nation, Korra came to a stunning conclusion: _t__he __mornings __were evil._

Aside from having to train and drill for the majority of the day, she was also expected to patrol the outer walls of the compound, to keep watch for any signs of enemy movement and to prevent prisoners from escaping; an irony that didn't escape Korra's notice. The enemies however, were scarce, if there were any. Occasionally she would see a pack of wolves, or even a colony of penguins sliding down a nearby hill on their bellies. For some reason she couldn't explain, watching them always made her smile; it just felt familiar for some reason.

Korra yawned, stretching her arms into the air when she saw that the sergeant on watch was looking in the other direction. Despite the fact that her sword hung sheathed in the metal scabbard by her side, she was still armed with the standard spears assigned to Fire Nation soldiers, used by both benders and non benders.

The sergeant of the watch was a stern old man, a combat veteran with the scars on his face to prove it. "Don't relax your guard for even a second," he would tell them as he passed by the guard posts, "There's always an opportunity for a prisoner to escape. I should know, since I came from the Boiling Rock."

Every soldier knew the story of the Boiling Rock, how a water tribe raider had somehow infiltrated past the prison's impenetrable defenses to orchestrate one of the greatest escape attempts ever. The fact that their prison was in a former water tribe area made this post even more important than before.

"And I better not catch any funny business from you,Water Tribe!" The old sergeant growled. _I wish they would stop calling me that._

When the old grouch had finally left to make his rounds on the other side of the wall, Korra and the rest of the watch relaxed. A few of the colonial soldiers quietly chatted her up, clumsily asking her where she had come from, and not so subtly hitting on her. The rest of the Fire Nation soldiers however, simply ignored her. She didn't mind, it was these moments that allowed her to practice.

Looking both ways to make sure she was alone, she drew the sword Mako gave her; which made a hissing sound as it came out of the scabbard.

_So. Cool._

Remembering the sword forms that Mako had taught her, she brought up the _jian _in her aggressive stance, swinging it through the air with purpose, focusing her will on the blade's killing edge. Her breath was slow. Focused. What was it the Mako said? _The sword must be an extension of your body._

_"_Look, lively troops!" the sergeant of the watch shouted, jolting Korra out of her daydream and making her drop her sword onto the ground. She quickly picked it up, sheathing it just as the sergeant and a few other privates passed her on the way to the gate section of the walls.

"Looks like we got some fresh meat coming in." There was relish in the man's voice.

"He's just a kid," one of the soldiers remarked, unimpressed. For others, who had stood guard for countless years at their posts seeing nothing but snow and ice, it was at least a diversion.

"A kid who is a Wolf Tail Raider," the sergeant hissed, sneaking a gaze at Korra. "Filfthy water tribe pirates."

Korra pretended she didn't hear him. The prisoner _was_ a kid,probably not that much younger than herself. He seemed frightened and lost, as if wondering to himself why he was caught in this part of the world. The poor guy was shaking, almost like he never laid eyes on a prison camp. Poor guy. _Is he in for a shock__,_ Korra thought.

"Hey, Water tribe!" The sergeant called to Korra. The grizzled veteran had an amused look on his face.

That could have only meant trouble.

"Yes, sarge?"

"I got a special assignment for you. Might actually suit your talents."

_Aw nuts._

* * *

Watching the sight from the dominating view of his office, the warden sized up his new prisoner. His assessment would not have been far from Korra's.

"Is this what the Water Tribe is reduced to?" The warden commented with a tone of disapproval."Sending children against us?"

"What can you expect?" Sergeant Rho replied disdainfully, "They're scrapping the bottom of the barrel. They can't have much left. Besides, water tribe peasants may be useful for hunting tiger seals or whales, but I'll take non-benders before I use them as soldiers."

"We do our lord a great disservice if we ignore the talents of our colonials, Sergeant. May I remind you that is the purpose of our colony –to ensure a future supply of loyal and subservient subjects for the Phoenix Lord." The warden was slightly annoyed. The prejudice that Rho had shown was not all too uncommon throughout the Phoenix Empire, but the future of the Empire lay in the proper use of colonials as slaves and soldiers, he believed. The sooner they saw that potential, the better.

"I beg to differ, sir. Take that water tribe girl, for can't trust a stinking water tribe savage to be a proper soldier. No matter how long they serve," Rho warned the warden, but the man simply brushed the comment aside.

"Nevertheless, it is the raiders we must concern ourselves with," the warden continued. "They do pose a threat. I believe we should forward a message to the Admiral. He would be interested in interogatting the prisoner personally." The Southern Raiders would try to take credit for the capture, but it would be the Warden and his colony who would reap the rewards. If the Admiral found out about the good work they did, then his requests for reinforcements and funding would be taken a bit more seriously, he reasoned.

Oblivious to the warden's thoughts, Sergeant Rho simply saluted. "I will have a message hawk sent out without delay."

The warden, lost deep in thought, simply nodded. "See to it, Sergeant. "

* * *

Tarrlok shivered as the guards threw him inside the small cell, the cold steel knawing at his skin. A part of him still couldn't believe where he was. One moment, he had been with Noatak in a steel Fire Navy ship, the next he had been dragged across the freezing tundra in one of those modern tanks – or at least they looked like them, from the stories his brother had told him of the great battle in the North – and now, they had taken him to the compound, which was the largest building that he had ever seen in his life; a giant metal structure brimming with steel towers and crimson flags.

The guards were the worst part. They weren't gentle with him, and he felt the stinging pain of bruises all over his body as he was dragged into the fortress.

The room was small, with barely any room to stand. The fact that he was a water bender didn't help either, that made them take precautions; such as shackling his arms and lifting them above his head towards the ceiling. The one luxury he had was the small slit of a window that gave him a narrow view of the outside world.

He felt cold,alone and terrified. Mostly terrified. He had heard stories from former water tribe prisoners and their descriptions of the punishments and the torture the Fire Nation would inflict on them. Nervous sweat dripped down his face.

He found himself mumuring prayers to the spirits for their guidance and help. He now wondered about the heroes he had heard of from his father. The tales of General Sokka and Avatar Aang. What would they do in prisons such as these? Aang would have used his ingenuity to fool his guards, Sokka would probably have had a plan by now.

_I wish mom was here. My Brother__. __M__y father._

_I just want to go home._

He knew what Noatak would do;he would give his captors the cold stare. He would have been defiant. He wouldn't have let the enemy know that he was afraid.

That was probably why he was his father's favourite. That was probably why he Tarrlok failed at all his father's teachings.

_Toughen up__,__ Tarrlok, you need a thicker skin for this._

He tried to take strength from his brother, from his example. But he couldn't. All he felt were the frigid chains on his wrists and the chilled steel of the cell walls and floor.

He wasn't Noatak. He wasn't a hero. He was just a scared little kid.

And it hurt.

Just as he lowered his head, the cell door unlocked, and a metallic bowl was placed on the floor in front of him, with an indescribable mix of gruel and meat in it. The smell itself was horrific.

Tarrlok quickly looked up to see who had put the food in front of him, and to his disbelief, he saw a young girl armored like a Fire Nation soldier. Only this girl was clearly of the water tribes. Her hair was even tied in the traditional knot of the Southern Tribes.

"You … you're Water Tribe?"

"Don't get your hopes up," Korra said stiffly, her tone harsh and uninviting. "I'm just here to feed you."

"I … I see," Tarrlok replied nervously, somewhat relieved that he wasn't going to some Fire Nation torture chamber.

He also noticed that she carried a metal cup in her hand, half filled with water.

"The other guards said I'm going to have to have you drink this before I unchain your hands to eat. I'm sure you understand," She said flatly as she offered the cup to Tarrlok, who, overcome by thirst, quick lowered his head to drink the water from the cup.

Once the water was fully drained, Korra tossed the cup, and quickly pulled out a set of keys to unlock the shackles that bound Tarrlok's hands. As Tarrlok slumped to the floor in exhaustion, she quickly walked back out the cell door and locked it again.

"They told me I'm supposed to babysit you for a while," she grumbled, a small hint of resentment in her voice. "Just don't try to we won't have any problems. Also, don't try any funny business. You'll notice that you're all out of water. Ya got that, bub?"

"It's not like I'm in a position to do anything, right?" Tarrlok gestured at the metallic cell door.

"Not really," Korra admitted She pulled up a chair at the edge of the cell door, using her _jian_ as a prop to rest her arms on. "Still, if you try anything, you'll regret it."

"You … are you a waterbender?" Tarrlok asked, purely out of curiosity. He had never seen one of his own people work in the Fire Nation army before. Such a thing was alien to him, and completely unbelievable.

His answer quickly came as a small flash of flame burst against the steel bars, sending Tarrlok reeling back in shock and awe.

"Does _that_ answer your question?" Korra replied, somewhat annoyed.

"No way," Tarrlok muttered. "You're a firebender? How is that even possible!?"

"It just is. Deal with it."

"But-but you're Water Tribe!" Tarrlok pressed the question. He still couldn't believe it. Fire Nation armor aside, she looked like she belonged more at one of the water tribe villages in the North Pole than being a guard at a fire nation camp.

"I'll give you a fair warning pipsqueak," Korra raised a finger in warning. "I don't like it when people question my appearance or gape at me with their mouths open."

Korra let the blade of her _jian_ rasp against its scabbard for effect.

At that moment, Tarrlok realized what he had been doing, and quickly closed his mouth. "Sorry…I just didn't think I'd see a Water Tribe member working for the Fire Nation."

"It's complicated, and nothing I'd discuss with a prisoner."

He didn't know why, but he nodded. "Okay," Tarrlok murmured.

Korra nodded. "Good. Now eat your gruel so I can go back to patrolling the walls."

"Considering what you've given me to eat as _food_, I'd like to avoid eating it as long as I could if I can help it." Tarrlok, to his surprise, found himself settling in more easier with the girl guard around. It must have been because she seemed familiar, unintentionally reminding him of the girls from back home.

"Point taken," Korra admitted, she wasn't a big fan of the food herself when she started out, she remembered not too fondly.

"So..." Tarrlok asked as he played with the slop that they called food on his plate, trying to at least spark up conversation. "How did you end up joining the Fire Nation?"

"I was _born_ here," Korra frowned, crossing her arms. She completely out of patience with having to explain herself to others, least of all this _kid_.

"Sorry!" Tarrlok backed away as though Korra was going to run him through with the sword, that was probably not a good topic to start off – it was obviously a touchy subject for her. "I didn't know, okay?"

Despite the fact that Tarrlok was annoying her to no end, Korra couldn't help but wonder what life was like in the Water Tribe. This was the first time she had ever met someone from the free tribes, outside of the prison, and she was genuinely curious. From what her father and mother had taught her, the tribes lived in small groups, each with their own chieftain. The Northern tribes were particularly vast, and they had cities made of pure ice; at least, that's what her father had told her. She couldn't help but admit she wanted to visit, but what could she do? Ask the warden that she was tired of being a prison guard, say thank you and hop on the nearest boat with her family north?

_Not bloody likely._

But that thought still teased her, as well as conflicted her. She was taught to be loyal to the Fire Nation, to always serve its interests, and she did believe that the Fire Nation army was the best path in her life. But she also couldn't forget that her parents had been hurt by the same nation. More than that, the water tribes were _her_ people.

With her own comrades, she hardly felt any link beyond mere friendship. At least, for most of them. And fellow soldiers like Mako and Rho; they had friends, they were not spat upon, not looked down on. They _belonged_.

"Uh...you okay?" Tarrlok asked.

Korra quickly snapped out of her daydream.

"Just finish eating your gruel," She said harshly, leaning lazily against the cell wall as she watched Tarrlok meekly begin eating.

* * *

The crisp sea air was fresh in his nostrils as he gazed at the massive harbors of New Ozai vanishing in the distance, along with the towering skyscrapers and smoke stacks of the city. Aside from serving as the main Imperial capital of the Phoenix Empire, New Ozai also served as a major port for all of the Fire Navy's operations, and an important military base by extension. It was there, where his pride and joy, _Sozin's__Judgment_, was built. It was a massive Empire-Class battleship, twice the length and height of a standard Fire Navy cruiser, and armed with the latest in modern turrets instead of the archaic trebuchets. Two massive golden dragons decorated the bow of the ship, which symbolized the Dragons of the East and West who had conquered the world in the last war.

To Grand Admiral Chan, it was a masterpiece. A symbol of his life's work to redeem the Fire Navy. Ever since Admiral Zhao's pathetic defeat at the hands of Northern Water Tribes, and his own father, the former Admiral Chan's failure to stop the Avatar and his friends from penetrating the blockade into the Fire Nation; the reputation of the Fire Navy had been at an all time low. The Fire Lord had lost confidence in his admirals and fleets, even though they were instrumental in his control of the world. He vowed that he would never be put in such a position again.

It was to his luck that he met Lady Azula during his youth. With her support, he had been able to convince the Fire Lord to rebuild his fleet, and to organize a second punishment expedition against the Northern Tribes, this time with better, more advanced modern battleships and cruisers leading the charge. It had been a complete success; the tribes were smashed with ease, and forced underground, reduced to mere pirate raids and coastal attacks. Now the Fire Nation ruled the waves, having no other fleet that could compare to it. All that was left was to pick up the pieces.

He smiled to himself as he recalled the memory. Let Azula compare him to _this_ Empire-class battleship. With the _Judgement_, nothing could defeat him, he was certain of it. With him controlling the fleets, and his friend Ruon-Jian commanding the armies, they made an unstoppable team that ensured control of the world remained in the hands of the Phoenix Lord.

Yet, there still remained the Water Tribes. His failure to wipe them out completely was the one stain on his otherwise perfect career. But one day, he swore, he would find them, and they would get a reckoning the likes of which would make even the Spirits tremble in fear.

As he drifted on that lovely thought, one of his lieutenants quickly ran up the deck behind him. He turned to see the man saluting, a messenger hawk on his shoulder and a scroll in his hand. "Sir, I apologize for the interruption, but we received word from the South Pole. It seems they've encountered a group of Wolf Tail Raiders in the South. Limited casualties, but they've confirmed they've captured two of them."

"Wolf Tail Raiders, huh?" Chan said with a disdain. Such matters were beneath him. "Leave it to the Southern Fleet to mess this operation should have annihilated all of them. Still, we've never captured a Wolf Tail alive…this could prove useful." He quickly turned to the helmsman beside him. "I want the J_udgement_ headed to the South Pole on full steam."

"Aye, sir."

At worst, it would just be an excursion to destroy the Wolf Tail raiders, a threat to the empire's safety and security. At best, he didn't dare think it, this raider may actually have useful information. Information that could lead him to the golden prize of his life, his destiny, and his key to becoming a legend.

The location of Yue City.

"Let us see what this prisoner has to offer us," Chan said with relish.

* * *

**Jokermask18**: Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

**SixBrokenSteps:** Thanks for the review! I hope to update more regularly closer to Christmas so stay tuned.

**Ninja Curry Girl**: If there was one thing I wish the show did more, it was show us more badass Noatak haha. :) As always your beta skills are appreciated! Thanks again!


	6. Confrontation

**_Chapter 6: Confrontation - Korra vs Noatak  
_**

* * *

The next night, when the moon was hidden behind a thin veil of clouds, a dark figure slipped unseen down the walls of the compound, hands sliding down the walls leaving thin sleet of ice as a trail. He dropped without a sound, the ice disappearing just as quickly as it was conjured.

It was impossible to see him in the darkness, for he had discarded the white markings of the wolf tail armor, opting instead for the dark blue cloth of the water tribes. In the blackness of the night, he was little more than a dark shadow.

Noatak knelt at the base of the wall, his spear at the ready as he took stock of his inventory, checking that the pocket flasks of water he had filled before hand had all made it with him during the descent. It didn't take Noatak long to reach the outer perimeter of the prison compound; he had been running all night. His body reeled from the exhaustion and aches of the last fight, but he allowed himself no respite, not when his brother's life was on the line.

_The body is an animal like any other_, Yakone would say, _the best warriors recognize that, and tame it to their will._ Noatak shivered as he recalled the memory; how Yakone had once locked him and his brother out in a howling blizzard just so they could 'tame' their body to the cold. Still, another part of him couldn't help but admit that without his father's training he wouldn't have made it this far.

That thought disturbed him deeply, and Noatak shook his head, quickly focusing on the task in front of him.

High walls loomed over him, topped by watch towers; both of which were patrolled regularly by guards. Towering over the walls, in the center of the compound, was a large steel building. That, he thought, was where Tarrlok was probably being held.

He heard the howl of a wolf in the distance, and he silently prayed to the spirits that Kodiak was okay. He would have wanted to take the wolf with him, but it was far too risky in the fortress for him; Better he be outside to cover the escape once they broke out.

The crunching of boots on snow quickly made Noatak freeze. He saw the dim light of torches around the corner, accompanied by the shadows of several armored men. Quietly, he bent the snow beneath his feet, sinking steathily into the ground so that his entire body was submerged in a small bubble of water under the surface. He formed a small air pocket in the water, controlling his breath quietly as he waited for the Fire Nation patrol above him.

There were two guards, and Noatak watched quietly from below as they spoke to each other.

"What's wrong?" The first guard said.

"I thought I heard something..." his companion eyed the wall with a veteran eye, and a look of puzzlement went over his face as he saw a line of ice shards at the base of the walls.

_Crap._ Noatak silently cursed himself for not covering his tracks, but the solution to the problem quickly presented itself in his head.

The second guard looked to his companion.

"That's strange." He pointed at the base of the wall, "think that's-"

Before he could finish, both men disappeared as they were literally sucked into the ground. Noatak melted the snow around them so that they would fall, and as the guards widened their eyes in surprise to see a submerged water tribe warrior in front of them, he had already frozen the ground solid, with the guards in a permanent state of disbelief.

_That was close._

Noatak eyed the guard closely, and saw a dangling set of keys coming off the waist of his armor.

"I'll be taking that." He smirked as he unfroze the keys from the guard's armor; quickly resurfacing, he picked up the guard's spear and sprinted for the metal building. The front gate was guarded heavily by a platoon of firebenders, but he saw the way in via a small window on the second floor. It was a barred window, but nothing a little ice couldn't slice through. As he ran, blades of ice gathered on his hands, and with one swift motion, he gathered a stream of water beneath his feet from the snow covered ground and jumped straight at the window.

* * *

The inside of the citadel was even more imposing that the outside, mainly because it was a maze. Noatak felt like he in the belly of a metal beast, with winding passageways and chambers all around. The walls themselves seemed like they were made with dark red steel with several rows of torches lining the path. It was an impossibly large task to go through every single room, and it was something he had no intention of spending all night doing.

As he rounded a corner steathily, Noatak found himself staring blankly at a patrol of three guards, who returned his gaze with equal surprise.

Before the first two guards could shout anything in surprise, Noatak was already rushing forward, summoning water from the flasks at his side, he slammed his palm into the faces of two of the men, freezing a solid sleet of ice over their faces and cutting off their warning cries. As the two guards fell face flat onto the ground, the third guard pulled out an alarm horn, intent on signalling to the garrison the presence of the intruder, but before he could blow it, a kick from the Wolf Tail Warrior sent it flying out of the guards hand.

The guard screamed a challenge, charging up his fist in a ball of flame and punching it straight at Noatak.

Noatak simply caught the man's punch with his own ice palm, and the firebender watched in amazement as his attack was stopped. The fireball dissolved into steam in Noatak's hand as he gripped the fist.

Before the guard could do anything, Noatak swept the man's feet from under him, throwing him back onto the floor. Another flash of water from a flask brought a blade of ice towards the guard's throat as he found himself pinned to the ground by the waterbender.

"I'm going to ask you a question." Noatak said icily as he pressed the blade against the terrified guard's throat. "And you're going to answer me, _or else._"

* * *

Rho grumbled as he and a platoon of firebenders stormed through the hallway, finishing their round of inspection. He was not in a good mood. When a messenger hawk brought word of Admiral Chan's arrival. The warden had ordered him to ensure the prison was operating at twice its efficiency, processing new arrivals as well as locking the unruly ones in solitary. What urked him the most however, was the fact that he had selected the water tribe girl for the honor of guarding his prized prisoner rather than his own elite guards. There was still no love lost between the both of them since their last encounter, and Rho swore he would make that little insolent girl pay for humiliating him at the Agni Kai.

It was probably that thought that put him in a bad mood, and his own troops marched uneasily behind him as he scouted the hallways for the slightest infraction, by either a prisoner or a guard.

The sergeant paused suddenly at one of the corridors, as if something was amiss.

"Where's the guard of this shift?" Rho barked at one of his corporals. If the warden found out his men weren't doing their duty, even for a second, Rho knew it would be his head on a platter before the men's. _If I catch any of them slacking off..._

The answer soon came as a trickle of water dripped onto his helmet from above, and Rho looked up in shock to see several firebenders above him; their wrists and legs were encased in ice, pinned to the ceiling.

"There's an intruder! Sound the alarm!" Rho snarled, pushing his way past several feeble guards as they tried to melt the ice encasing their comrades. There was a water bender in here somewhere, and when he found them, they would pay dearly.

It didn't take long before the entire facility went into lockdown, a warning horn was sounded, followed by the shouts and scrambling of soldiers.

* * *

_Great, there goes my cover. _

Noatak quickly took inventory of his remaining water flasks as he ran, rounding another corner on his way to the cell block where they held Tarrlok . He only brought half a dozen into the compound with him, but he gauged it to be enough.

A firebending guard appeared in front of him, and Noatak instinctively tossed the flask onto the ground, spilling water out into a thin sleet of ice on the floor. Just as the firebender shot a flame blast at him, Noatak slid down onto the ice, using his arm to trip the guard's leg and sending him to the ground with a loud thud as he passed him. Quickly summoning the water back around his arms, the Wolf Tail Warrior continued his charge.

As he ran past the guard's dorms, he quickly froze the locks in place, causing many of the trapped soldiers inside to begin slamming against the metal doors. By the time they got through, Noatak was already past them. The doors exploded behind him as jets of flame were shot out at the locks, followed by dozens of angry Fire Nation soldiers.

"Seal off the block!" A firebending corporal shouted as he and three other guards formed a firing line directly in Noatak's path, while one of the prison guards tried to lock the cell block door behind them, but the waterbender had already figured out his next move.

"Here, catch." Noatak took one of the remaining water flasks from his side and toss it at the firebenders while he contracted his other hand into a fist.

The flask exploded into a cloud of steam as Noatak bent the water outwards, like a small grenade. As the soldiers coughed in confusion, Noatak ran past them, kicking the doors into the cell block shut along with the dead bolt mechanism behind it.

"Unlock this door!" The soldiers were gathering on the other side, trying in vain to kick down the bolted door.

_Good._ Noatak thought, that left him some time to scope out the cell block, and free his brother.

"Noatak!"

He lifted his head up in recognition of the voice, and saw Tarrlok, eyes wide with joy. To Noatak, the sight of his brother, arms raised above his head in chains, made his own blood boil, but it was the sight next to him that amazed him.

Standing between him and his trapped brother, armed with a _jian_, and adorned the crimson armor of the Fire Nation was a girl. Not just any girl, a water tribe girl.

"What took you so long?" Korra leaned casually on the wall next to the cell, giving the impression that she had grown bored waiting for Noatak to penetrate the fortress defenses. Korra had heard the alarm earlier, and she had deduced that this was probably someone trying to rescue the new prisoner. After all, he must have been important if the warden had put _her_ in charge of his security.

"You're...a girl?" Noatak blurted out as he caught his breath, of all the people he was expecting to confront, he was not expecting a water tribe girl. True, the Fire Nation had been more liberal in the fact that they allowed female warriors to fight on their front lines, but from where Noatak came from, the Northern Water Tribe, female waterbenders were forbidden to use their talents in combat, having been regulated to the roles of healers.

"Very observant." Korra smirking arrogantly as she unsheathed the _jian_ from her scabbard and assumed an aggressive stance. Her easy confidence irritated Noatak slightly,;she was treating him as though he was not even a threat.

Backing up slightly, Noatak took stock of his remaining flasks of water. _Two left. That should be enough_.

"I'm giving you a fair warning." Noatak said with grim determination. "Let me and my brother go, or I'll take you down."

"Big words coming from someone who's unarmed." Korra grinned, then with a speed that Noatak didn't expect, rushed forward with her sword high, intent on cutting him down where he stood.

Noatak expected the attack, and had already reached into one of his flasks to pull up a long whip of water that went flying towards his assailant.

"Noatak!" Tarrlok shouted from his cell, "Watch out, she's a firebender!"

Noatak widened his eyes in surprise. "_What-"_

Before he could finish, he saw that the blade the girl held was now covered in bright orange flames. The sword cut through the water whip easily, dissolving it into clouds of steam.

He quickly dived to his side, letting the rest of the water splash onto the ground as Korra sent a wave of flame through the ground towards him, charring the wall black behind him.

"What...what _are_ you?!" Noatak asked, his voice tinged with a bit of fear and disgust.

"The one who's going to kick your sorry butt that's who!" Korra grunted as she did a jump kick, sending two bursts of flame towards Noatak.

The water bender was fast however, and with a blur of motion he closed the distance, engulfing his arm with the water that had dropped onto the ground, he dived under Korra's sword stroke and sent her blasting back with a jet stream of water.

"Ugh!" Korra threw up a wall of flame to shield her from the worst of the blast, but it still threw her against the wall with a loud thud.

With Korra out of the way, Noatak made a bee line for Tarrlok's cell.

Korra however, stopped him in his tracks with a solid blast of fire, which barely singed Noatak as he skidded to a stop just in time.

"You're in my way." Noatak said in a menacing tone. He didn't have time to fool around with this girl, not if he wanted to rescue his brother.

"Feel free to move me." Korra replied grimly, still trying to catch her breath from the last attack, this guy was tough, tougher than anyone she had to fight so far.

"I'll do more than that!" Summoning the remaining water in his flasks, Noatak quickly wrapped his arms into two large water whips.

Raising her sword into a guard, she braced herself as the waterbender rushed at her. The first water whip she managed to slice with her sword, but the second tendril managed to hit her arm, knocking the sword out of her hand and freezing it against the wall.

Before Korra knew it, Noatak was above her, and with a solid kick to the gut, he pinned her to the ground. The water from the whips wrapped themselves against her arms and legs, enveloping the rest of her body before finally freezing; effectively trapping her onto the floor.

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe." Noatak scoffed as he recognized the beads that Korra wore her with her hair style. Hatred and disgust underlined every syllable as he spoke. "I thought our southern brothers and sisters had more spine and pride than to be reduced to a dog of the Fire Nation."

"I'll show you spine!" Korra grunted as she tried to rip herself free of her ice prison, but it was no use, the ice was too strong, and although she could use her fire breath, she needed to move her body to use her fire bending.

"Don't bother. No firebender's ever escaped from that before." Noatak said nonchalantly took a moment to admire his handiwork, before proceeding towards his brother's cell. _Now, to free Tarrlok and get out of this place._

Suddenly, Noatak heard a distinct _crack_ behind him, followed by a loud blast as the ice prison shattered into a thousand pieces.

"No way-" Noatak turned around to face his opponent, but Korra had already closed the distance. With two jumping side kicks, Noatak found himself hurled back as two of the flame blasts hit him square in the chest, knocking him back against the metal bars of Tarrlok's cell.

"Noatak!" Tarrlok cried out as he tried to break free of his chains, cursing himself for being so useless when his brother needed him.

"How...there's no way you could have broken out of that!" Noatak gritted his teeth as he nursed his ribs from the last strike.

Korra was just as surprised too, but she didn't show it, her face was a mask as she was determined to bring down her opponent.

"You're mine chump." Korra grinned as she assumed pointed the sword at Noatak, who couldn't believe that he was bested by a firebending girl of all people.

At that precise moment, the doors into the cell block were blasted apart, revealing two platoons of Fire Bending troops. Noatak saw that unlike the prison guards he had fought on his trip into the compound, these were heavily armored Fire Nation regulars, with their skull face plate helmets.

"Well done. Well done Private Korra." The Warden complimented his star pupil with pride.

The guards quickly secured Noatak, handcuffing his hands together

"Since you are so content on seeing your brother again, I will have a cell put next to him just for you." The warden said with a condescending tone. "I'll make sure you're both ready for your little interview with the Admiral."

Noatak was surprised when he heard that. Admiral? What would an admiral want with them? None of that matter now, Noatak thought, his concern was focused on the present.

As he was held up, he gave the girl, 'Korra', the warden had called her, another glare. She returned it with an equally hard gaze; her eyes sharp, dangerous and uncompromising, it reminded him a little of his father's and his own.

"Come on water tribe scum." The guard punched Noatak in the gut, and he reeled back, feigning weakness in his knees. It worked to his advantage that his captors thought him weak.

He was captured for a second time, but this time he gave a sly grin as they dragged him off to his cell.

Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

A/N : No zuko yet, but don't worry, i'm planning on ending the prison arc in the next two chapters , then we can really get things moving

**Jokermask- **Thanks! I enjoy throwing these little twists on the story, look forward to some more as the story progresses

**Sixbrokensteps **- Zuko is out there...just how he appears well we'll see won't we :D

**A Titan at Heart - **Thanks! Glad you like it. As for Zuko, he's coming lol


	7. The Blood Wolf

_**Chapter 7 : The Blood Wolf**_

* * *

Korra had every reason to feel good the next day, talk of her exploits and how she had taken down one of the feared Wolf Tail Warriors in single combat had spread through the ranks. Even her harshest critics had to grudgingly admit that the newest recruit had done alright, although Sergeant Rho was the lone standout. Still, Korra was eagerly anticipating that all this talk may lead to a promotion; the first step out of this prison for her and her family, and maybe even a transfer to Mako's Southern Raiders. _To finally be free of this place and to see the world!_ It was a dream she had for as long as she could remember, and now that dream was almost within her reach.

To celebrate, Mako had decided to bring Korra out to a local tavern with the rest of his squad when he heard the good news. He had fought the Wolf Tail Raiders for the majority of his career as a Southern Raider, and the fact that this new recruit had defeated one simply amazed him. Was there nothing she couldn't do?

"To Korra! The Wolf Slayer!" Mako raised a mug to his squad.

"To Korra!" The rest of Mako's squad raised their mugs to the Water Tribe girl, who blushed a little at seeing her mentor and friend praise her so. The rest of Mako's squad seemed nice enough, and although they exchanged awkward stares when they realized Korra was a water tribe girl, Mako's quick acceptance of her quickly put them at ease. Two other Fire Nation soldiers were in Mako's raiding squad, there was On Ji, a pleasant girl from the Fire Nation who seemed friendly enough when she was introduced to her.

Then there was Hide. A tall, muscular youth whom Korra remembered was one of Sergeant Rho's students when they went through basic training together. Although he seemed friendly enough (especially with On Ji around) Korra found it a bit weird that she was now sharing a table with someone who had most likely been part of the gang of bullies Rho had trained. Still, he couldn't be that bad, Korra reckoned, if Mako had him in his squad.

"Thanks everyone. I really appreciate it!" Korra blurted out somewhat awkwardly. Truth be told she really had no idea how to process all this. After fighting all her life to be accepted by her peers, it seemed almost odd now that she was sharing drinks with the famed Southern Raiders. It was funny in a sense. When it came to battle, Korra had no hesitations about what needed to be done, but with something as simple as a social interaction with her comrades, she felt almost lost.

"Don't mention it." On Ji smiled, giving Korra a friendly pat on the back to put her at ease. "And relax! Don't confuse us with those stuck up guardsmen in the prison. We're not all like that, well... Hide was..." On Ji gave Hide a teasing look, "but we're mostly good now!"

"You're never going to let me live that down are you On Ji?" Hide sighed. Prison detail wasn't the best place to work in the Fire Army and Korra knew exactly how that felt.

"Now, now guys." Mako quickly jumped in before things got out of hand. "We're here to celebrate Korra's achievement, not go over ancient history. It's not every day we get to capture a wolf tail."

"Speaking of ancient history...you did much better than Mako, Korra." Hide gave Korra a playful smirk, "The first time he fought a Wolf Tail Raider, he nearly wet his pants."

"The guy caught me by surprise!" Mako snapped with indignation, founding himself slightly flushed, whether from the drink or embarrassment, no one knew, but they all had a good laugh.

"Maybe we should be recruiting her!" On Ji remarked, "It's been a while since we've had another girl in the squad. Not since mister home wrecker here worked his magic."

Korra raised an eyebrow at that remark.

"You're exaggerating On Ji, as usual." Mako replied gruffly.

"Right Sarge." On Ji gave a playful wink to Korra before continuing to drink.

Korra couldn't help but laugh at all this. She rather liked that about Mako. Whereas other sergeants used their authority to make the lives of their soldiers miserable, Mako actually took the time to know his subordinates, and actually treat them like human beings. It was a far cry from how the prison sergeants treated their own troops that was for sure.

Hide, feeling the need to rescue his sergeant from an uncomfortable topic, decided to change the subject. "So...Korra. What now? It sounds like you're going to be a Southern Raider soon."

"If only," Korra joked. "I doubt the warden would let me leave, after all, I'm his prized pupil." The thought of that special status made her cringe inwardly.

"I'll have a talk with the warden Korra." Mako drained the last of his cup and settled it on the table. "I personally think it's a waste of your talents to be stuck guarding water tribe prisoners. No offense of course."

"None taken." She smiled. "Thanks Mako."

"Don't mention it. Least I could do." Mako replied, patting Korra encouragingly on the shoulder.

"Word has it that the Grand Admiral is coming into town." On Ji added, "maybe if you make a big enough impression on him, it'll help!"

"Admiral Chan huh? The guy is one of the top dogs in the Nation. That must be some important prisoner you captured." Hide whistled appreciatively.

"Yeah, I wonder who he is..." Korra said rather absentmindedly.

* * *

Noatak felt a surge of rage flow through him when he saw the squalid conditions they had put his brother in. Chaining his arms up like an animal and not even allowing him the freedom of movement in his cell. The one, solitary luxury was the thin window slit which let a small sliver of sunlight into the cell. That was all he needed to tell the time of day, or precisely, how much time he had left to formulate the best escape plan out of here.

He recalled bitterly the memory when he had been captured during a Fire Nation raid in the North Pole, having languished on a shipboard dungeon for days before finally being freed by his father's wolf tails. He had been eight then, and his Yakone was furious that his son had dishonored him so by being caught. Since that day, he had trained Noatak mercilessly, honing the skills in him to become the perfect warrior and soldier.

But that was ancient history, and he was a scared little boy back then. Now, he knew exactly what to do.

"Psst. Tarrlok, can you hear me?" Noatak whispered to the cell next to him.

"Yes brother, did they hurt you?" Tarrlok replied, his shackles shaking as he struggled to get a view of his brother.

"I'm fine," Noatak replied reassuringly. In truth, he was still nursing his bruised ribs. "Just be patient, I'll have us out of here soon enough."

"Hey, quiet over there!" One of the Fire Nation guards shouted from the entrance to the cell block. Tarrlok quickly froze in place, hoping the guard wouldn't start beating them.

"Don't let them get to you Tarrlok." Noatak sensed Tarrlok's anxiety and tried to reassure his little brother. This wasn't the first time he had been captured, and for some funny reason he figured it wouldn't be the last.

"No talking between prisoners." The guard said in a threatening tone.

Rather than needlessly provoke the guard, Noatak quickly shut himself up, his eye wandering to the window slit that showed a small sliver of moonlight. _Not yet._

The guard snickered, wrongly believing he had cowed the raider. "Enjoy the accomodations while it lasts boys. Once the Admiral gets here, you'll wish you weren't born."

"Admiral?" Noatak asked, feigning calmness to cover up his curiosity.

"Admiral Chan, the scourge of the Water Tribes." The guard boasted, "He takes particular pleasure in interrogating pirates such as yourself."

_Not good._ Noatak thought, if he was to make a move, he would have to do it soon.

* * *

It was a clear night tonight, and the moon was shining brightly in the sky. While around the prison, the signal horns blew, signalling the next change of the guard.

Korra yawned as she began the mundane task of putting on her armor and sharpening her sword in preparation for the next watch. Somehow this wasn't quite what she'd imagine when she joined the Fire Nation army, but she supposed every little step counted. It was getting better at least, now she had a few people around here she could call her friend aside from Mako. On Ji, for one, was very happy to have Korra hang out with them, and Hide, while more reserved about Korra, was at least not intolerant of her presence like so many other of Rho's students.

After seeing just how good Mako and his squad had it in the Southern Raiders, she was more determined than ever now to work her way out of his hell hole and to finally see the world. With this Wolf Tail prisoner she captured, she felt that she was one step closer to her family's freedom and her dream.

Yet some part of her felt a small tinge of guilt and regret. Was she not simply trading someone else's freedom for her own? The Wolf Tail Warrior was an arrogant jerk for sure, but he had done nothing to Korra, neither did his little brother. It felt even more complicated since they were also water tribe. Something about that just felt wrong - No! That wasn't the reason - They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was what life boiled down to, she reckoned. Sympathy was a luxury that she couldn't afford, especially growing up and seeing her family abused and tortured by the guards and even by the water tribe prisoners. Kindness and weakness was the quickest way of getting yourself killed, she reminded herself. She saw it clearly enough in the prisons, where they preyed on people like that. People too meek and 'kind' to defend themselves were the first to go starving. Survival of the fittest. That was the only rule of life, the only rule that mattered;that was the way she had to live.

_Was it?_

She half recoiled at the thought, her head still swarming with all these conflicting thoughts. Then she finally decided she had enough. She would stand guard tonight, nothing more, and then get a good night's sleep, maybe she was just tired...

She had made her way down the hallways to the cell block where they kept the water tribe prisoners. The pair of Fire Nation guards standing watch looked at her with surprise, as though he were expecting someone else.

"I'm here to relieve you." She said flatly.

The two guards, Fire Nation regular troops with their skull plated helmets, eyed her with some suspicion but ultimately nodded.

"You sure about this Water Tribe?" The first soldier asked.

"I can handle them myself." Korra replied, rather irritated, she was beyond tired of being called that nickname.

"Fine then." The guard took a set of keys and handed them to Korra. "Agni knows why the warden places so much trust on a little girl."

"Take a hike chump." Korra didn't rise to the bait, didn't even have the energy to feign disinterest. She had played this game too many times to even care, and her favored status with the warden made her somewhat untouchable by guards equal in rank to her. The man muttered something incomprehensible as he and his companion walked away to the break room, leaving Korra alone with the keys. She walked into the chamber, taking the post the Fire Nation guards had previously, and closed the huge steel doors behind her.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up." A voice echoed from the other side of the chamber, and Korra watched the chained forms of the two Wolf Tails in their cells, right where she had last left them.

Korra scoffed at the prisoner, crossing her arms in amusement.

"Big talk from someone who is chained against the wall."

"It won't last long." Noatak said casually, concealing a smile, "Your name is Korra, isn't it?"

"That's none of your business." Korra replied, concealing her surprise, but then she figured this prisoner must have been conscious when the warden addressed her by name.

"Heh, I'd figure as much." Noatak replied coolly. "I've never had a firebender best me like that before. I'd figure I'd get to know your name at least."

Korra strutted towards the cell without another word. She was annoyed that she had been baited so easily by the older brother, especially after she resolved to just focus on her job.

After what seemed like an eternity of standing guard and waiting, the younger brother suddenly spoke up.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Like I'm going to give free information to a prisoner." Korra scoffed, she couldn't believe how green this kid was.

Tarrlok seemed to deflate at those words, while the other brother ('Noatak' was the name the younger brother called him) simply glared at her. The younger one was obviously not as experienced as his brother in hiding his emotions, and the annoyed look Noatak shot at Tarrlok amused her. They seemed like virtual opposites. One was young, scared, inexperienced and timid, but the other was fierce, determined, and more level-headed, and from the bruises she still had from their last fight, a decent warrior. They were her enemies to be sure, but at the same time, she couldn't help but think that they were also her people as well. Suprrisingly, she found herself feeling a rare moment of pity for the two.

"Fine," She said indulgingly. "Ask me a question. I'll humor you."

Before Tarrlok even opened his mouth, Noatak spoke up, his eyes glaring intensely at Korra

"Why would someone like you fight for the Fire Nation, our sworn enemy?"

"Maybe _your_ sworn enemy." Korra replied nonchalantly. "But not mine. I was born and raised here. Simple as that."

"So you just blindly follow the Fire Nation's orders. Is that it?"

Korra frowned. "I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you."

"So...that's your answer then..." Noatak said rather ominously. The waterbender took a deep breath, his eye trained on the small window slit that had provided sunlight into their cell. Now, with the coming of night, he gauged from sliver of moonlight that the time was just about right.

"Noatak..." Tarrlok felt a strange sense of foreboding overcome him, apprehensive at what was about to transpire.

"We done yet?" Korra crossed her arms impatiently, wondering why she even indulged these prisoners. They would be gone soon enough.

"Get ready brother," Noatak's gaze never left Korra. "We're leaving."

"This is a joke right? From where I'm standing you're not in a position to do anything, much less challenge me to a rematch." Korra almost wanted to laugh, but checked it when he gave her a murderous glare, maybe the guy was nuts after all.

"Trust me," Noatak gave his stiff neck a quick crack, then grinned. "This won't be much of a rematch."

For some reason, Korra found herself holding the handle of her sword, as if she expected Noatak to pounce from the cell any moment. But she quickly dismissed the thought, what the heck can he possibly do?

"They call me the Blood Wolf back home. You want to know why?"

"Not interested." Korra shook her head, not believing she was feeling so threatened by a tied up prisoner, deciding she wasted enough time talking, she turned around to leave.

Only her body wasn't moving.

"What-" Before Korra could even say another word, she felt a burning pain shoot through her. It was like nothing Korra had ever experienced, her arms seized and her entire body went rigid. For what seemed like an eternity, it felt as though all the blood in her veins suddenly bubbled into acid. She wanted to scream, to utter a cry for help, but for some reason, the words were stuck in her throat, she could only gasp for air as she felt hersef lifting off the ground. The sickening swoosh of blood and strained bones filling the air.

_Wait?! What's going on here!_

Noatak kept his eyes focused on the girl. Out of his entire tribe, he was the only one who had honed and perfected his father's psychic blood bending technique, to the point where he didn't even need to move to control another person. It was a deadly and feared power, one that he could only do in the presence of a full moon.

Korra almost wanted to hurl as she was brought to her knees, crying out in pain. Tarrlok watched in awe as Korra was dangled helplessly in front of him. He saw the look on his brother's face, as much as he hated to feel it, he was afraid.

Korra's eyes widened as she suddenly felt her body move towards the cell, her right arm involuntarily twitching as it reached for the keychain she had placed at her side. Within moments, she soon found herself unlocking the cell, as well as the shackles that binded Noatak and Tarrlok.

"What...what is this?" Korra struggled for breath as she uttered each syllable, she felt a great pain in her chest as her heart felt like it was going to explode, as though it was trying to push the blood out of her body.

"Bloodbending." Noatak said calmly as he helped Tarrlok out of his cell, supporting the younger sibling on his shoulder. "Something _you'll_ never understand, Firebender."

Another flicker of his wrist and Korra felt her face plaster onto the hard steel floor of Noatak's cell, the pain was gone, but exhaustion overcame her, leaving her on the floor. Her vision soon clouded and the last sight she saw was Noatak carry his brother out of the cell block, and to the nearest balcony.

* * *

"This had better be good warden." Admiral Chan said calmly as he and his elite guard of Marines strolled down the hallways of the cramped prison. The _Judgement_ had made good time, travelling from the great continent of the Phoenix Empire to the South Pole, now, all that was left was to interrogate the Wolf Tail Raiders, and hopefully extract the information he needed from them.

"I assure you sir, it won't. My security staff are as good as any regular army men. In fact, there hasn't been an escape in over twenty years from this facility."  
The Warden, slightly nervous at such a high ranking official visit his prison, did his best to ensure his guest was impressed by his work. After the Phoenix Lord, Chan was perhaps one of the two most powerful persons in the empire, his good word and patronage would be invaluable for the future.

"I recall the warden of the boiling rock saying the same thing." Chan said, rather unimpressed. "And look what happened to him."

"Trust me my lord." The warden said confidently as he strode towards the prison block door. "I have my best soldier guarding our prisoner. Nothing is getting out of here without going through..."

The door opened, and the procession was treated to a rather shocking sight.

An unconscious water tribe girl in a Fire Nation uniform, along with two unchained shackles where a pair of prisoners should have been.

The warden's mouth dropped, and he almost choked at the sight, as though he was struggling for words.

"Your best soldiers huh?" Chan rubbed his chin rather unimpressed, but a cold fury settled into his eyes. "This was a waste of my time after all."

"Please my lord." The warden said, almost pleadingly. "This can't have happened long ago!" In desperation, he quickly grabbed one of his escort guards by the collar, almost shaking the terrified man. "What are you waiting for? Sound the alarm!"

"Don't bother warden." Chan scoffed. "You've already shown me how reliable your soldiers are. My marines will take it from here. If you're lucky, they will be able to clean up the mess your guards made."

Without even another word, the Admiral and his marines turned and left.

Korra groaned as she came too, and to her shock she saw the shaking image of the warden. But this was different from almost all the times she had seen the man. This time, he was shaking with rage. Rage that seemed to be directed _at her._

_No..It can't be..not now! _Korra's eyes widened in horror as she came to the realization of what just happened.

"You let the prisoners escape!" The warden shouted, shaking with rage.

"Wait!" Korra almost jumped up to explain, "You don't under-"

"I understand perfectly well. You're under arrest for dereliction of duty." The warden's voice dripped with contempt and anger.

"I've let you had your way for a while now, even treated you as one of my own... but perhaps Sergeant Rho was right. You will stay in this cell as a reminder of your failure, until I can decide what to do with you." The warden turned furiously, already shouting orders down the hall.

"Wait...what?! You can't be serious!" Korra wanted to jump out of the cell, to plead her case, but the Fire Nation troops simply threw her back into the cell. The warden was still railing, having alarm horns sounded throughout the compound as he scrambled to redeem his honor for the humiliation he had suffered just moments ago.

As the men left, the cell block doors slammed shut, and just like that, Korra, alone in the darkness, felt her entire world had just crumbled.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the compound, alarms rang as platoons of firebending troops mobilized to hunt down the escaped prisoners, various sounds and shouts erupted throughout the base as men scrambled to their posts.

The chaos and confusion was more than enough for one lone figure to slip in underneath a supply cart that was going into the base. With the lockdown going on, the last thing the guards would check was a cart going _into_ the prison.

The figure was dressed in a full black garb, blending perfectly into the night, save for one thing that he wore that distinguished him in the darkness.

A mask of blue.

* * *

**Jokermask:** Thanks! Unfortunately for Korra, her path to the avatar won't be as smooth as canon, but it'll get there!

**Kamil: **can't really give a regular update time considering my two stories but I will try my best :)


	8. Scars

_**Chapter 8 : Scars  
**_

* * *

The warden was angry. He wasn't used having the organized and orderly world of his prison thrown into such chaos before. First, came word that the two Water Tribe prisoners had escaped successfully, having dug an ice tunnel underneath one of his walls; even worse, Admiral Chan had announced that he would personally hunt down the two fugitives with his own marines.

It was a double slap in the face, implying that it was he who was at fault, and secondly, that Chan had absolutely no faith in the abilities of his guards. For a man who prided himself on keeping one of the most well-run compounds in the Empire, the words stuck like bile in his throat._  
_

Yet his greatest dilemma was with his prized pupil. Korra. What to do with her?

Dereliction of duty in the Fire Nation army was a crime of the highest order, especially during times of war, sometimes even punishable by death.

But to destroy her? She represented a decade's worth of investment, in both time and resources that he had committed to hone her into the perfect soldier; resources that could not be recouped. True, she had failed, miserably and utterly, but she was still young, she still had potential.

No, he would spare her life, but he would discipline her all the same, he would show the Admiral that he was still in control of his prisoners.

"Get me Sergeant Rho." The warden said gruffly to one of his guards. "It's time to show these colonials the cost of failing in their duty. I want the Admiral to see this before he leaves."

The guard, still nervous at seeing the warden so furious, bowed meekly.

"As you command, lord."

* * *

The fortress guests suites were located across from the main prison keep, giving any visiting dignitary or general a comfortable view of the entire courtyard where the guards and army units conducted their drills.

Watching the drilling troops and the fixed formations below, the elderly master took the time to pour himself a cup of fine tea, savouring the scent as he sat down on the porch.

It was moments such as these that he treasured the most; enjoying a nice cup of tea while reviewing the troops, that brought him back to when times were much simpler, much happier.

As the old man sipped his tea, he heard a soft 'thud' of a landing behind him. Without even looking, he already sensed the presence of another on the balcony.

"Took you long enough to get here." The old master chuckled, blowing the tea cup softly to get it to the temperature he preferred.

"It wasn't easy. Your messenger hawk was almost intercepted. Not to mention the base was crawling with marines." The man stepped out of the shadows, and the old master turned around to see that it was one of the most wanted figures in the Fire Nation's history, the one who had almost single handedly caused them to lose the war.

The Blue Spirit.

"I had faith you would find your way. You were never one to be careless." The old man chuckled. As if recalling another memory in his foggy past. Then, his eyes focused, intense in concentration.

"Admiral Chan is here." The Blue Spirit stated flatly.

"Yes..." The old man's eyes burrowed in contemplation. "Do you think Azula is onto us?"

"No." The Blue spirit replied confidently. "It's those water tribe prisoners that he's after. I doubt they've got wind of our plans."

The old man nodded, calmly finishing the tea quietly before settling it down on the table next to him.

"I think we can dispense with the secret identities. We are safe here." The old master smiled as he turned around to finally face his guest. "Prince Zuko."

Zuko sighed, taking off the mask that he had been wearing ever since the day he had become a fugitive. In some ways, his true face was even more dangerous than the mask, for it was the most recognizable in the empire.

Armed with his patented dual daos, he still sported the top knot of the nobility of the Fire Nation, even though he let his hair grow long enough so that it flowed behind his neck. The scar that had haunted him throughout his youth was still there, abeit faded from time. He was also well built, with strong shoulders and the muscular frame of a man who had fought all his life and was at his prime.

Iroh smiled at his nephew, his eyes filled with both pride and sadness. Yes, sadness, for he never wished this kind of life onto him, to suffer as he once did, to be forever cast out and hunted by his own country.

As his mentor and teacher, Iroh had tried his best during Zuko's youth to guide him to the right path, to save him from this fate, but the spirits decided otherwise.

And although Iroh was happy his nephew had finally seen the error of his past ways, it was too late, the price had been paid. He saw the pain and loss in Zuko's eyes, no matter how much the young man tried to cover it. He had the eyes of a man who knew he had no future. Now, all he cared about was making amends for his past, whatever the cost.

Iroh hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"Just like old times." Iroh chuckled briefly at the memory when they had raided the North Pole together, under Admiral Zhao's nose. Now, they were in the South Pole, hunting for the Avatar, but not for the same reasons as before. Life, he thought wryly, had a particularly strange sense of humor.

"They weren't good times." Zuko replied harshly, not wanting to bring up the past. In truth, he was more concerned for his uncle, who had gone through the elaborate scheme of masquerading as a Fire Nation master. It was lucky that he was officially listed as having been killed in action during the Invasion of the Black Sun so many years ago, the Fire Nation would not be looking for him now.

"Still, they were memorable." Iroh stretched casually as he stood up, leaning over the railing to observe the troop movements outside.

"You sure it's her?" Zuko asked impatiently, eager to get onto the true reason for his visit.

"One can not always be sure," Iroh replied, equally serious. "but she is the most promising one so far. The other masters vouch for it."

"Then I am ready to strike." The prince declared.

Iroh shook his head. "It's not as simple as that. She has family here and the warden is using them as the means to control her. We can't rush into this swords blazing like in the past Zuko."

"No uncle," The former prince said sternly "This time, I am thinking it through. I will find a way to get her out of here. I swear it."

"I know you will my nephew, but for now, we need to be patient-"

A assembly horn suddenly blew from the Fortress spire, causing both Zuko and Iroh to turn to gaze towards an assembling crowd of Fire Nation Troops.

The horn blared again, repeating several times before stopping.

Hundreds of soldiers were filing into the courtyard as the warden had mobilized his entire base (except for those in the guard towers), along with Admiral Chan's marines, to fill the parade ground. Zuko watched quietly as the platoons of firebenders marched into place with mechanical precision, forming a military square with the empty parade ground in the middle. Meanwhile, around the compound walls, the prisoners gathered at their barred windows to witness the display.

In the centre of the square, was a tripod of three steel bars, each as tall as a person, forming a makeshift pyramid.

For Iroh, who in a previous life was a Fire Nation general, this demonstration was all too familiar to him.

"What is this?" Zuko asked.

"Something you won't like." was all Iroh said as he watched.

* * *

Sergeant Mako and his Platoon were as apprehensive as Iroh when they found themselves filing in with the Southern Raiders, who formed up one side of the square. The other three sides were a mixture of the prison guard battalions and the Fire Navy marines Chan had quartered into their base.

"Haven't had one of these in a while." Hide commented, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"I wonder what that's about." On Ji asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Mako replied, hiding the distaste in his voice. "Now be quiet, the commander will tell us soon enough."

When the entire procession was set up, the warden, who was also the commander of the fortress, stepped into the center of the square.

"Soldiers! Honored guests!" He shouted, projecting his voice throughout the square.

"It causes me great sorrow to summon you all for such an occasion. I have always said I preferred to think of my colonial guests not as prisoners, but as part of the Fire Nation family. _My _family." He nodded towards his personal guard, who quickly brought up their prisoner.

Two regular Fire Nation troopers, and a prison guard sergeant then emerged, dragging a girl with them. She was stripped of her armor, sporting a prisoner's shirt and coveralls for this punishment.

Mako felt his breath leave him as he recognized the face, still bruised and battered.

_Korra! What's she doing there?_

"Neglect and dereliction of duty can never be tolerated. It means you have failed yourself. You have failed your comrades. You have _failed_ _our lord_! It endangers everyone and has resulted in losing two valuable prisoners. This is the same as desertion or even treason!" The warden said the last word with an menacing tone.

He then turned to Korra. "And when it is commited by a prisoner to whom we have given excellent treatment, whom I have taken in as one of my own...it pains me, but I must take action."

"An example must be set, and I always believe it is best to learn by example." The warden concluded.

"Mako, we can't let this happen, there must be a mistake somehow!" On Ji protested, tugging at Mako's arm.

"Quiet On Ji!" Mako hissed, "Let me think of something."

The guards then roughly took Korra up to the tripod, where they were already in the process of tying her arms to the metal bars. Korra grunted as she suddenly tried to fight herself free, but two more guards came in to help and she found herself too drained and weakened to fight against their iron grips.

"For failing in her duty to her comrades and to the nation. The sentence is... Ten Fire lashes!"

A collective low murmur went through the crowd as the sentence was casted. Fire lashes were one of the most brutal forms of discipline in the Fire Nation military. Ten was enough to make even the most hardened soldiers cry in pain.

"Are there any objections to this sentence?" The warden asked magnanimously once Korra found herself trussed up by the tripod, her eyes wide with fear.

To his own surprise, Mako found himself stepping forward in front of his line.

"Sir!" he shouted.

"Mako!" Hide panicked as all eyes suddenly turned on the Southern Raiders. "What are you doing?"

"Quiet!" On Ji pushed Hide's arm down, hoping Mako would be able to help.

Mako cleared his throat as he began. "Sir, I would like to petition that the punishment be a conditional sentence only, and that the prisoner be given a warning."

Korra turned to Mako in incredulity.

"I don't believe it will happen again sir. I...I will personally vouch for her." Mako continued, hiding the fact that he was gritting his teeth.

The warden gave a sympathetic smile, and replied a few moments later. "While that is admirable sergeant, I don't share your opinion. The sentence will carry on."

Mako stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, but quietly lowered his head and stepped back into line, his fists shaking.

The warden turned to one of his guards.

"Sergeant Rho." He said sternly. "You may begin."

Rho flashed a devil of a smile and saluted the warden as he held the whip in his hand. The whip itself had three long tails, which were now sizzling as Rho channeled his fire bending into the lashes, so that they burnt and cut at the same time. It was so intense that his first few experimental lashes on the ground produced sparks of flame.

The parade ground master-at-arms took a deep breath.

* * *

Korra kept quiet, closing her mouth and refusing to give the sergeants the satisfaction of hearing her scream or beg. She tried to move her wrists but they were shackled tight in irons, a precaution against her fire bending. She saw nothing but the emotionless skull masks of the armored soldiers staring at her, while behind her, the cackling of the fire whips filled her ears with dread.

She screwed her eyes shut as she heard the first count.

"ONE!"

The smoking whip cracked in the air, striking Korra's and tearing three neat red lines into her back. Korra groaned quietly, almost stumbling on her feet as she pulled vainly against her arm shackles. The pain was excruciating.

"Two!" Another set of flaming lashes sliced through her back, but still Korra gritted her teeth, refusing to utter a sound. She fought against the pain with every ounce her being, even as she felt a small stinging wetness forming around her eyes.

* * *

"Three!"

Even from the distance of the balcony, the fire lashes reverberated through the air like a deafening whipcrack. Even then he watched in amazement as the girl somehow still maintained her composure. She was tough.

"Four!" He saw her head thrash back as another fire lash cracked on her back.

Zuko had about all he could stand and he quickly unsheathed his dual daos, putting a foot on the balcony arm rails as though he intended to jump.

"Don't! Prince Zuko!" Iroh quickly grabbed Zuko's arm before he even had a chance to fling himself into that pit, almost forcibly pulling him down.

"Let me go uncle!" Zuko growled fiercely as he kept his gaze focused on the avatar.

_FIVE!_ the distance cracks of the whip continued.

"You can't take them all by yourself! You risk throwing away your life and hers if you are discovered!" Iroh said intensely.

"I can't...I can't" The Prince grunted fiercely, his urge to get down there and stop this barbaric punishment at war with his realization that his uncle was right.

"Believe me Zuko..." Iroh gritted his teeth. "This pains me as much as you, but we throw all of our lives away, including hers, if we act now. There will come a time for us."

Zuko, his dual swords still unsheathed, stood helplessly at the balcony, his fists shaking with rage. It brought back too many memories, and even he found himself unconsciously touching his scarred face as he watched.

* * *

On the eighth strike, Korra felt the beginnings of a scream leave her throat, but she quickly snuffed it out, instead letting out a soft grunt as the three claws of the whip dug into her back, already the sizzling sounds and horrible smell of burnt flesh started filling her nostrils.

A soft whimper escaped her lips but it did nothing to stem the torrent that ravaged her back.

"Nine!"

Another whip crack, and Korra felt the tears running down her cheek, even as she tasted blood in her mouth.

* * *

Mako meanwhile, was visibly shaking as he watched the look of delight and pleasure on Rho's face as he applied the strokes, already turning Korra's back into a criss cross of burn marks and slashes. It took every fiber of self control in his body to not leap out at the man and end him right there.

On Ji couldn't bear to watch, while Hide lowered his head quietly, hoping that this would be over soon.

* * *

"Ten!" The last crack sounded, and Korra let out another soft whimper. She was in so much pain, she didn't notice that she was no longer standing, instead, she was literally hanging from the shackles, her arms stretch up on the tripod while her body dropped from the weakness and pain.

Sergeant Rho turned to the warden and saluted.

"That will be all." The warden waved the sergeant away, then pointed to Mako.

"You! Sergeant." He pointed to Mako.

"You can cut the prisoner down as you seem to be close to her. Make sure she is taken care of." The warden replied.

"Yes sir." Mako found himself speaking through clenched teeth.

"The rest of you are dismissed!" The warden announced, and with a smug look of satisfaction, turned around to leave.

Mako, On Ji, and Hide quickly jumped up to the tripod, where Korra was already hanging like a rag doll. Mako gestured at the pair to quickly unshackle Korra's wrist, while he knelt in front of her, ready to catch her as he carried her onto his back, her arms dangling weakly around his neck and shoulders.

"Korra..." Mako began as he lifted her up.

"You came..." Korra smiled weakly at Mako. "I'm glad you're here."

Mako took one look at the tripod, and the bloody drips from Korra's back and he suddenly felt ashamed at having been so helpless.

"It's okay Korra." Mako said soothingly as he carried her. "...you're safe now."

"It...it hurts." Korra grunted as she was being led to the medical station. Each step seemed to set her entire back on fire. The white prisoners shirt they had given her was now ragged and bloody from the lashes, while her back was a criss cross of scars and burns, with blood dripping onto the ground; but Korra hardly seemed to care any more.

"I thought it wasn't going to stop. It felt like forever." Although Korra wasn't crying, he saw the stream of water trickling down her face.

"You made it through, and didn't give in." Mako said uselessly but still trying to comfort her. "Korra, You're the bravest person I've ever known." He said genuinely.

Instead of saying anything, Korra simply nodded. She didn't have the energy any more, and the last thing she remembered was leaning on Mako's neck as he carried her away.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the balcony above, Prince Zuko felt white hot shame and rage flow through him as he recalled his helplessness. It was how he felt when his father had burned him at the Agni Kai. Worse...it was how he felt when he confronted Azula and Aang at the caverns of Ba Sing Se...

No, he would not make that mistake again. Not now, not _ever._

"I _will_ save you." He swore beneath his breath.

* * *

Thanks everyone for the faves and follows!

**Joker Mask: **Blue spirit is always one of my faves. I do hope he makes a return in some form in LOK.

**Kamil the Awesome: **Avatar awesomeness will come in part 2, this is basically setting it up before I explore the wider world :) I do hope to get to that soon!


	9. A Wounded Soul

**Chapter 9: A Wounded Soul  
**

* * *

Korra woke up the next morning to a burning agony that had been her companion for what seemed like an eternity already. Lying on her stomach, she felt like her back was on fire. Two Fire Nation medics were working on her, using salve to heal her burn marks, although that didn't make breathing much easier. Every twitch, every breath, seemed to stretch out the scars that were undoubtedly on her back and rewarded her with a fresh sting of pain. The sweet smelling, gooey medicine had a nice cooling effect on her back, and she relaxed slightly as they applied it across the breadth of her shoulders, where the gashes had been the worst.

Although their touches were gentle and the medicine had been relieving, there was no real compassion in their work. During one of her bouts of consciousness, she even thanked them for healing her, but the medic scoffed at it.

"Don't flatter yourself Water Tribe, I'm just doing my job." The man sneered.

She groaned inwardly. It was a response that she was growing accustomed to during her time in the prison, but for some reason, it upset her more than usual. Even when they were helping her, they despised her.

_Maybe they always will. _

The medics continued their work, and Korra flinched involuntarily as they applied a fresh layer of bandages over her back.

_Spirits. it hurts...  
_

Korra shut her eyes as the pain throbbed even more intensely. She couldn't imagine what her shoulders and back would look like now, all burned and scarred. She would carry it with her for the rest of her life; like a mark of shame, forever a sign of her failure.

As the medics finished their work, Korra looked up and felt her heartbeat jump as she saw the man she had known for most of her life, and had come to fear the most.

_No...Not now..._

"Private Korra. What am I to do with you?" The warden said in a suprisingly paternal tone as he walked up to her bed, examining the bandaged wounds with a detached interest. The anger he had shown yesterday was replaced with a quiet calm, but she could detect the venom in his words.

"You've cost me a lot, you know. More than you can ever imagine." The warden gripped his fist around a sheathed jian, which Korra recognized was the one Mako gave her.

Korra wanted to speak up, to defend herself, to even explain about the new kind of bending that Water Tribe raider was using, but as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, the warden quieted her by pressing the scabbard of the jian into the wound on her back, causing her to hiss in pain.

"This isn't a conversation my dear." The man spoke bluntly.

"I've come to let you know that your parents have been transferred back to the prison. I've had my men pick them up this morning." He said flatly.

Korra's heart skipped a beat, horrified at the prospect of her parents returning to the prison. "But I-" Korra protested.

"You failed me, my dear." The warden immediately interrupted her.

"Worse." he added menacingly. "You failed me in front of the Grand Admiral, one of the most powerful officials in the empire. You've shamed me in front of our allies and enemies alike!" The warden almost shouted, as if physically trying to control his temper.

He sighed, clasping his hands behind his back as he stared out the window to regain his composure, as well as letting that last thought sink in. Korra sunk her head down, not daring to look at the man.

"The Admiral has forbidden my prison guards to interfere in recapturing the prisoners." The warden commented.

"Luckily for you, the Southern Raiders are a separate force from my guards. And your friend Sergeant Mako was most eager to cut a deal with me."

Noticing that Korra was purposely avoiding his gaze, he propped her chin up with the sheath of the jian, looking at her eye to eye.

After what seemed like an eternity, he continued.

"Once you are healed, you have one mission. Get _my_ prisoners back. I am granting you a chance to redeem yourself. Do this, and all will be forgiven." He spoke soothingly, the tone of a paternal parent to a reprimanded child.

"Fail me again however, and a burned back will be the least of your worries my dear." The gentleness in his voice was gone now, replace by a cruel harshness. "Should you fail. Your parents will be the ones to suffer, and I will make you watch _every_ moment of it."

With that last thought, the warden threw her jian to the side of the room, leaving Korra lying face flat on her bed with the salves and bandages, eyes numb with shock at what she just heard..

The warden then turned towards the door. He didn't like to think he took enjoyment from that little exchange. Sometimes, the colonials needed proper motivation to get things moving. Yes, a lesson and some motivation.

He turned to one of his guards at the medical bay door. "No one is to enter. Let her meditate on her failures for one day."

The guard nodded, and the warden smirked, satisfied that the little thought planted in his little pupil's head would keep her bound to him even more, in time, she would become his perfect little soldier.

Korra spent the whole day alone in the medical ward, alone with her thoughts.

* * *

"That bastard."

Zuko swore silently as he overheard the conversation, dangling outside the window using a hooked blade. He had intended to rescue her right then and there but the warden had placed too many guards for a clean getaway. Still, this presented an opportunity. The Avatar was leaving the base soon, and that made the escaped Water Tribe prisoners even more valuable.

Quickly retracting the hook blade, he landed gracefully onto the ground below, ducking behind a cart to avoid a patrol of guards.

He would talk to his uncle about the latest development, although the plan was already forming in his head.

* * *

That night, as the warden's words sank in. Korra came to a horrible realization: There was no way for her to get out of this mess or to escape out of this prison.

Ever since that night, everything she had done up to this point had been for nothing, all her training, all the days when she pushed herself to her limit were thrown out the window.

She had failed, not only in her duty, but in protecting her family.

Now, finding herself alone in a dark squalid cell, unrelenting terror swamped her, and for the first time in her life, she gave up and cried.

The tears came slowly at first, trickling from her eyes, but they soon became a small torrent. It was a strange release of sorts, as if her soul was trying to expunge the sickness that had taken root in her over the years from the pain of being taken away from her parents; the pressure of being the warden's top student, the constant taunts about how she was a worthless colonial with no future, the knowledge that her years of hard work thrown would count for nothing; and the fact that her family would always be stuck in this prison, no matter how hard she tried.

Her entire life was just one struggle after another, the spirits seemed to just laugh at her efforts.

It was unfair, it hurt. She wanted to be strong for them, to protect them, but for the first time, she just felt so _weak, so helpless. _

She choked at the last thought, stifling a small sob and biting down hard on her lip as a shot of pain reverberated through her body. The bloody bandages on her back burned like fire.

The pain was so intense, she didn't sleep another wink that night.

* * *

The next morning, the guards allowed Senna to visit her daughter, if only grudgingly. She had told Korra about how the guards came for them in the dead of the night, and how her father had almost fought the guards when they told them what had happened to her. But Korra was relieved to learn that they were both safe, although their circumstances could certainly be better.

Senna did the best she could given the circumstances, taking the opportunity to apply a fresh change of soaked bandages to provide relief for Korra's back. She had to be gentle, as Korra flinched every time she applied even the slightest pressure.

"It's okay Korra." Senna whispered soothingly, gently rubbing a warm towel over the scars on her daughter's back . "It's okay..."

It took every ounce of Senna's will to maintain her composure. The sight of seeing her child lying wounded and bleeding on a prison cot broke her heart. Above all, she was worried. Korra was normally optimistic, full of energy and life, but this morning, she just seemed so worn and uncaring. Her eyes were just vacant and blank.

In fact, Korra hardly spoke a word all morning.

"I'm here for you Korra. I'll always be here for you if you need to talk about anything." Senna stroked her daughter's hair lovingly.

Korra closed her eyes weakly, crossing her arms to prop up her aching shoulders. There was obviously something weighing heavily on her mind, but she was in no mood to talk.

"Mom...I'm tired."

Korra spoke the words with a weariness that belonged to someone who had already seen too much in their life, and it broke Senna's heart to see her daughter in this state; the words were something no parent ever wanted to hear from their child. Somewhere in her deepest, darkest thoughts, it felt like a piece of her daughter had died already. Korra seemed like someone else, as though she had aged overnight.

Senna put up a brave front, tossing that useless thought away. Korra was her own flesh and blood. Just as Korra had been strong for them, Senna would be strong for her daughter.

"Then rest my dear..." She brushed Korra's hair gently. "A woman always needs her rest."

Korra simply nodded quietly, closing her eyes as the healing salve continued to do its work.

* * *

Senna wiped the tears from her eyes as she was escorted from her daughter's cell. The guards showed no sympathy, even going as far as to push her onwards when they deemed she was walking too slow.

"That will be enough."

Senna looked up to see a black armored sergeant wave the guards away.

"I'll take it from here." The man ordered.

As the guards complied and went about their own way, Senna was amazed to see the sergeant take off his helmet, revealing the friendly face of a young man. "My name is Mako, I'm a friend of Korra's."

"Yes, she's told us about you..."

Mako nodded, "I'm sorry about what happened to your daughter." The apology felt useless, but it was still something Mako knew had to be said. "She didn't deserve any of this. But I'll try to make things right. I've already made a deal with the warden to track down the prisoners, then he'll let you and your husband move back to the colony, and Korra will be off the hook."

To Mako's surprise, Senna clasped his arm.

"Please...it's not me or my husband I worry about. It's Korra." Senna replied softly.

"I know it's probably asking for too much, but after your mission, you have to get her out of here...somehow...far from this place. My husband and I can take care of ourselves, but she can't stay here any longer." Senna had seen the broken spiritless shells of her fellow prisoners, and she knew with absolute certainty, especially after seeing Korra this morning, that if she stayed any longer, it would kill her.

"It's not any safer outside these walls...there's still a war going on." Mako countered, surprised at such a request. To send their daughter away from them? But Senna looked at him with almost pleading eyes.

"I know... but at least she would have a chance to live." She said softly. "At this point, that's all I can ask for her."

Mako looked at her with disbelief, but even he saw the truth in her eyes.

"I'll do what I can." Mako promised. "You have my word."

* * *

To Tonraq, the word of a Southern Raider was probably worth less than tiger seal dung. He was going to do what he should have done years ago, break his little girl out of this prison and make a run for it. He had already taken the liberty of hiding a spear blade in his parka as the guards dragged him past their armory. Once Senna came back, he would make sure she had some place to hide...then he would wait for an opportune moment to strike...

"Not the best time for an escape. Wouldn't you agree?" An old, wizened voice said cordially.

Tonraq looked to the outside of his cell, where an old man in the robes of a Fire Nation Master stood.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said almost guilelessly, his anger evident on his face.

"I think I do." the old man countered quietly. "Believe me, I know the pain you are feeling. But throwing your life away will do your daughter no good."

"Who are you to speak this to me?" Tonraq demanded, shaking the bars of his cell angrily.

"A parent who has already lost a child." The old man whispered softly, almost oblivious to Tonraq's hostility. "Who also does not wish that fate onto another."

he knelt down and clasped his hands over Tonraq's, his expression genuine and concerned. "Trust me, there is a better way."

"There will come a time to act, and when it does come, you will know, and you will not find yourself without friends." Nodding quietly, the old man stood up.

Tonraq could only watch in confusion as the old man vanished into the crowd of Fire Nation guards. It was then that he noticed that during the conversation, the old man had slipped something into his hand. Tonraq opened his palm to take a look.

It was a Pai Sho tile.

* * *

The sun was setting on another day and Korra watched again from her prison bed. She had lay on her stomach for the past two days while her wounds were healing up, and she was getting sick of it. Now, for the first time, she could see and think clearly.

The great terror of the previous two nights had left her; now replaced with a fear that she could live with. Somehow she would get out of here, she told herself. If her family needed saving, she would do it again and again if need be. She would press forward.

She cursed herself as she recalled the pain, and how she had given into it so easily. It was stupid of her to let go like that, she thought. Stupid, weak and dangerous; she would never let it happen again. With night, came dinner and water, and already Korra felt some of the old strength returning to her.

No. She was stronger now. Stronger than she had ever been.

That strength quickly turned to anger as she suddenly remembered why she was in this situation in the first place. She had taken pity on the two Water Tribe prisoners, and they took advantage of her weakness. Now, she and her family had paid the price.

Korra hardened her gaze at that last thought, clenching her fists tightly as she stared at the fading horizon. Yes, she saw it clearly now. Even if it meant chasing them to the ends of the earth. By Agni, she would get them. _  
_

She would hunt them down, without mercy, without pity...

She would regain her honor.

* * *

**End of part 1**

* * *

**Kamil the awesome**:the other elements will come soon enough i promise, next chapter will set the new stage_  
_

**Joker mask -** thanks! So Glad you like Iroh and Zuko :D

**Cindz Cindz -** Thanks for the review :) I will endeavour to update as much as I can so that wait isn't too long

**Yolandah-da-Hedgehoggu - **glad you liked it! Yeah i felt bad even as i wrote it, but as a wise man once said, if you want to show what kind of stuff your character is made of, you hurt them. bad. I'm hoping to make this more intersting as i go on :)


	10. Book 2 : Earth : To Another Shore

**Scorched Earth **

**土**

_Earth..._

_Fire..._

_Air..._

_Water_

* * *

_I knew Avatar Aang_

_He showed me the world outside my village and gave me a life outside of my parent's strict rules and orders. For that, I will always be in his debt. He was a good person, and an even better friend. _

_I don't care they say; to me, and to the people of the Earth Kingdom, he was a hero._

_With the fall of Ba Sing Se, the Fire Nation swept across the rest of the Earth Kingdom like a plague, Using the power of Sozin's Comet, Ozai torched the land until no resistance was left and the remnants of the Earth Kingdom collapsed. In time, rival warlords and generals began fighting amongst themselves, setting up their own puppet kingdoms and nations from the ashes. It was a dark time for us, and many had thought the Fire Nation victory was complete._

_But they were wrong._

_Ozai thought that by burning our land, our homes, he could break us, but as long as there is hope, we fight on. There is a new Avatar born somewhere in the Water Tribes, and it's my job to help her. If she is anything like Aang, then I believe she is the one who can finish what he started._

_I believe she can save the world. _

* * *

**Chapter 10: To Another Shore**

Tarrlok awoke with a start as another wave crested over their small boat, soaking both he and his brother. Surprised, he gasped for air, sucking in a breath full of sea water instead, causing the young Water Bender coughed unceremoniously. Noatak sighed, knowing his brother was out of his element, he needed at least another year of experience before becoming a fully-fledged wolf tail. Now, with both their lives on the line, he would have to be extra careful if they were both to return home with their lives.

Kodiak, sensing Noatak's stress, nuzzled beside his master quietly, and the Water Bender smiled, petting the wolf gently.

They had been sailing for two days. Having escaped the prison compound, the brothers quickly made it back to the Water Tribe encampment where they had hidden their boats, only to find it abandoned; the rest of the Wolf Tails having dispersed already. Commander Hahn had left a message for Noatak to find, detailing how they were off to attack an Admiral's squadron that had made its way southward, and that they would rendezvous at the ruins of the Eastern Air Temple in a few weeks time.

Noatak did not look forward to the prospect of dodging Fire Navy blockades along the way. So that meant they would have to bypass the hostile territories of the former Earth Kingdom. Although the Fire Nation (or Phoenix Empire as some called it) controlled most of the continent, there were still vast stretches of desert, swamps and mountains where the last holdouts of the Earth Kingdom remained, which made slipping past the Fire Nation all the more easier.

"So, where are we headed Noatak?" Tarrlok asked as he took a look at the distant shoreline of the Earth Kingdom, which was dominated by steep rock cliffs and sharp rocks. It was getting dark soon, as the sun was blood red in the horizon, and Tarrlok looked uneasily behind them as dark storm clouds began to gather.

Noatak pointed to the shore, past the cliffs where the land started to flatten out. "It looks like there's a village there. We'll make a landing, get some supplies and make our way east."

Tarrlok nodded as his brother spoke, taking comfort from how calm he was, even in the face of disaster. It was one thing he admired about Noatak, he always had a plan.

The first cracks of thunder shattered the air as the brothers pulled their boat onto the beach; it was soon followed by pouring rain as the heavens drenched the land. It didn't take long before they were both soaked to the bone.

"A fine welcome to the Earth Kingdom, I guess." Tarrlok grumbled softly as he helped Noatak pull a tarp of leaves and branches over their boat to hide it. He was sorely tempted to water bend a dome of ice above them to protect them from the rain, but that would have made them visible for miles around.

"Better out here, than in the Fire Nation dungeon." Noatak replied as he tied the last of the ropes to secure the boat. Tarrlok cringed inwardly as he recalled his short stay there, and he couldn't help but agree with his brother's assessment.

Noatak also began using his spear blade to dig a shallow pit further down the beach. "Leave the armor and furs behind, we can't draw too much attention to ourselves."

Reluctantly, Tarrlok removed the Wolf Tail helmet and shoulder vest that distinguished them among the water tribes, but here, they would have stuck out like sore thumbs. Even if the Fire Nation's control didn't extend over the entire continent, it was better to be safe than sorry. They wouldn't be able to pass themselves off as Earth Kingdom peasants (the brown complexion of their skin saw to that), but at least they can pretend to be traveling civilians.

By the time their work had been done, the rain had passed, slowed to a light drizzle.

It was then that Kodiak growled low as both brothers gathered their remaining supplies and weapons into separate back packs. The two waterbenders stood up, eyeing their animal friend closely.

"What's wrong boy?" Noatak knelt beside the wolf and tried to see what was disturbing his companion. He had been with the wolf long enough to know when it sensed trouble, Kodiak seemed to have a sixth sense for danger, even if he couldn't pick up a strong scent. He squinted his eyes through the dark brush, hoping to see something, but his instincts told him enough.

"Tarrlok…" Noatak said, very slowly and deliberately.

The younger waterbender nodded, knowing the implication of his brother's tone.

"Run!"

Both brothers instantly bolted, running towards the cover of the forest.

* * *

The Marine captain cursed as he saw his quarry make a run for it. They were a squardon of five of Admiral Chan's elite bodyguards, each adorned in the crimson red and black armor of the marine guard, and they had been stalking the pair for some time, allowing them to lull into a sense of complacency while they set up an ambush inland, so that they would not have a chance to escape by sea.

The wolf, however, had somehow managed to sense their presence even as he and his men positioned themselves in the rain storm. But then again, the massive Mongoose Dragons that each marine used as a mount were probably too much for the animal to ignore. Each Mongoose Dragon was approximately fifteen feet long, and they were known for their quick reflexes that allowed them to traverse any type of terrain, whether it be scaling walls or skimming over bodies of water, which made them perfect for hunting refugees.

"What are you waiting for!?" The marine captain shouted at his men, pointing his sword at the pair. "Go after them!"

Before the Captain could even spur his own mount forward however, two rope darts shot out from the bushes behind the group, wrapping themselves around two of his guards and pulling them back in the darkness. Jets of flame shot out from the bushes behind the captain as the marines struggled against their assailant, but they were quickly silenced.

As the captain turned his mount around to face the new threat, a dark blur rushed the remaining marines, and a flash of steel glinted in the darkness as the marines found himself falling onto the ground, their saddles straps cut. Another hard slap of the blade made the Mongoose Dragon's screech in terror, running in all directions and dragging the unfortunate marines with them.

The Captain grunted as he shot a fire blast at the strap trapping his foot, then, screaming with rage he spun around as he got up, firebending a circle of fire around him to attack whatever assailant had ambushed his group.

The mysterious man backed away, and the captain got up to see his assailant face to face at last….

Except it wasn't a face he was staring into. It was a mask.

_The Blue Spirit._

The marine captain widened his eyes in surprise. After Avatar Aang, the Blue Spirit was probably the most wanted man in the empire's history, especially after his role in sabotaging the Fire Navy's efforts to win the war, time and time again.

Without even bothering to say anything else, the Marine captain instantly lunged with his own jian, hoping to skewer the man where he stood, but the Blue Spirit was faster, dodging to the side flowing around his attack like water. Grabbing onto the man's arm, he quickly tossed the captain over his shoulder and flat on the ground in one smooth motion.

The last thing the captain saw was the silver glint of steel as the Blue Spirit unsheathed his dual daos, bringing it down on his opponent.

* * *

Oblivious to their good fortune, Noatak and Tarrlok continued running through the thicket of trees, unsure if they were being followed or if it was just a false alarm. Tarrlok cursed as he struggled to keep pace with Noatak, who seemed to weave expertly around each tree while he found himself stumbling and tripping on the tree roots and fallen branches on the ground. Still, he couldn't spare any time to slow down, let alone stop, lest the Fire Nation guards were right on their tail.

After what seemed like an eternity, the forest finally cleared, and the brothers soon found themselves on a dirt road; A sign, at least, of civilization.

"Think….think we lost them?" Tarrlok gasped, leaning against a tree to rest. He forgot the last time he had run so much, and having to do it through a dark forest didn't make it any easier.

Noatak was also leaning forward, catching his breath as well, but whatever had startled Kodiak seemed to have passed.

"Looks like it." He replied cautiously, peering at both directions of the road to make sure that the coast was clear.

"What now?" Tarrlok asked.

"We find a place to stay for the night. I saw a village from our boat, so there must be someone using this road." Noatak reasoned. "Let's head east for now."

Dusk soon gave way to night, and the crescent moon bathed the land in an eerie glow, lighting the path as the brothers walked for what seemed like hours on end. Noatak and Kodiak led the way, while Tarrlok brought up the rear, nervously eying the trees for any sign of danger. For someone used to the wide open tundra of the North Pole, the narrow winding forest road felt suffocating. Not only that, each step seemed like a trial in itself, as the roads became bogged down in mud.

To a passing observer, they seemed like a pair of regular water tribe hunters making their rounds in the tundra, and although they were completely out of their element, Noatak hoped that it would be passable enough so that they wouldn't warrant too much suspicion.

Finally, after several more uneventful hours, the trio stumbled upon the lights of a travelling convoy.

Pausing ahead, Noatak and Tarrlok hid in the bushes, hoping to discern whether or not this convoy was Fire Nation or not. As the convoy got closer, they could make out the insignias and armor plates of the individual soldiers. Noatak breathed a quick sigh of relief as he saw that the soldiers wore the green lacquered armor of the Earth Kingdom armies. For once, their luck seemed to be holding.

Leading the way was a squadron of mounted lancers, each soldier riding on an ostrich horse.

To Tarrlok, who had never seen an ostrich horse before, it was an imposing sight. Each beast was at least ten feet tall, with long necks, wide flat tails and short stubby wings. Each one sported an intimidating plumed helmet, while their bodies were clad in heavy armor, like their riders.

Deciding that it was safe, Noatak and Tarrlok quickly emerged from the bushes, stepping in front of the squadron of Earth Lancers.

The leader of the cavalrymen, seeing the curious sight of two water tribe warriors and an arctic wolf standing in the middle of the road, raised his arm to signal a halt to the convoy. The other soldiers obeyed, but kept their weapons ready, in case this was an attempt at a bandit ambush.

The leader, a captain by the markings of his green armor, trotted towards the two water tribe warriors cautiously.

"My name is Lee, I'm in charge of this convoy on behalf of High General Giam. State your business." He said with authority in his voice.

_High General? Must be one of the local warlords_, Noatak thought.

"Excuse us sir," Noatak began calmly, "We're hunters from our village in the North Pole, trying to find our way home." Having been well versed in interrogations, the half-lie rolled off Noatak's tongue very smoothly.

The captain raised his eyebrow in suspicion. "Awfully far away from your home to be hunting." Indeed, the captain couldn't remember the last time he saw a water tribe member, period.

"My brother and I got stranded when our boat got destroyed by the storm," Noatak explained. "We've been here ever since, dodging Fire Nation patrols and making our way inland."

"I don't know sir." Another cavalryman pulled up beside Lee. "They could be spies for all we know. They've been trying to infiltrate our ranks for months now."

"We're _not_ Fire Nation spies." Noatak said vehemently. "We just need a place to stay and some supplies, then my brother and I will be on our way."

The captain studied Noatak intently, as if trying to gauge whether he was telling the truth. But the look of fury in Noatak's eyes told him everything. As someone who had lost family to the Fire Nation, he knew _that_ look anywhere, there would be no danger from them. Besides, no self-respecting water tribe member would ever help the Fire Nation, not after what they had done to their people. That last bit was enough to convince the captain.

"I believe you." Lee said finally, then offered the brother's a friendly wave towards the wagons in the caravan. "Come along, we'll see if we can help you out. Any enemy of the Fire Nation is a friend of ours."

Tarrlok thanked the man, excitement building in his voice as he relished the chance of finally sleeping under a warm roof. Even Noatak, who was normally reserved about these things, couldn't hide his smile.

For the moment at least, they were safe.

* * *

**Thanks everyone for the faves and reviews! stay tuned for more!**


	11. The Jade Sentinels

**Chapter 11: The Jade Sentinels**

* * *

Korra couldn't believe her eyes as she stood on the bow of a formidable Fire Navy Light Cruiser. It was the first steel ship she had been on in her life and she couldn't resist exploring every nook and cranny of the vessel, from the galley, to the crew quarters, to even the massive fire turrets that lined the bow and stern of the ship. Mako had been kind enough to give her the freedom to do so while he was drilling the rest of the Southern Raiders. Officially she was still on the injured list, and although the scars on her back had mostly recovered, it still stung, even as she put on her usual light armor on.

It was an eye opening experience, she had seen dozens of these ships pull into the harbor during her time in camp, but she never thought she'd be on one. The crash of the waves and the smell of the fresh sea air was nothing like she'd ever felt before. It was exhilarating.

Yet, like everything in her life, there was a catch.

Although being on this Fire Navy Cruiser miles out in the open sea and away from the prison was a liberating and thrilling experience, she knew she was still a prisoner, trapped by the conditions the warden had placed upon her in her search. It was like a twisted mockery of her life long dream, to be free, yet to still a prisoner. Still, she was determined to make the best of it, as she always had.

It wasn't easy leaving home, and the memory of it was still fresh in her mind

_"Bye mom, dad, I'll miss you both." Korra put on a brave front as she hugged both Senna and Tonraq. What made it even harder was the fact that they were standing outside the cell block where the warden had made their new home.  
_

_"We love you so much dear. Please, be safe." Senna wrapped her arms around her daughter warmly.  
_

_"I will mom..." Korra replied softly.  
_

_"You're old enough to see the world now Kor, and you'll probably meet a lot of people along the way" Tonraq gave Korra's head a firm pat, "Just be careful, and remember all the lessons we've taught you. You're old enough to be on your own now, we trust you."  
_

___"I will dad." She said with a smile. Then, as she walked out of the cell block, she turned to give them one last look. Her father putting his arm around her mother for support.  
_

_They looked so relieved...yet so sad.  
_

_"I'll get you both out of here. I promise."  
_

"Glad you're enjoying it."

Korra blinked, then noticed footsteps behind her on deck. Mako smiled, taking off his helmet and walking to Korra on deck. His red scarf fluttered freely in the wind.

"I know! It's amazing isn't it-" Korra flushed, quickly remembering that she was still on duty. "I mean...yes sergeant."

"Just call me Mako." he replied casually. "Out here in the field, we aren't as stuck up as the garrison troops. Besides, you're one of us now. Don't be so intimidated by rank, we take care of each other."

"Yeah!" On Ji surprised Korra, wrapping her arm around her neck gleefully and throwing her slightly off balance. "Just take it easy okay?" The Fire Nation girl smiled cordially.

Hide also joined in, and nodded in support. "Mako runs a pretty fair ship, you'll get the hang of it in no time."

Korra couldn't help but smile as she saw her friends (yes, she was beginning to think of them as friends) supporting her. A life time of being mocked and abused by the prison guards almost made her forget what genuine kindness was like, and she was grateful to them for helping her.

"I don't know how you guys did it," She said, "but thanks for everything guys... I'm glad for a chance to get those raiders."

"You can thank the sarge for it Korra." Hide replied, "He worked it out with the warden. I guess being the son of a famous general also does wonders eh?" He gave Mako a playful nudge.

"Yeah..don't mention it." Mako said awkwardly, which made Korra raise an eyebrow in suspicion. What did he have to agree to for this?

"Mako...I don't want to be trouble." Korra stated flatly, "I'm grateful and all, but if there's anything that the warden's doing..."

Mako shook his head at that last statement. "No Korra, it's nothing to do with the warden." He waved her concern off, that was at least half the truth. "I'm just thinking of our next destination. That's all."

"Our next destination?" On Ji inquired. "You think the raiders have made landfall?"

"That's the thing. We don't know." Mako admitted. "So we're going to see someone who does know."

He then turned to Hide. "Inform the captain that we have a lead. We'll head to Sentinel Island."

* * *

It didn't take long before they saw the island, it was fairly large, dominating the horizon as soon as they cleared the South Pole. Even as they docked, Korra was busy taking in every detail of the island, from the small mountain ranges, to the lush green trees of the forests. After being cooped up in the South Pole for so long, she realized this was the first time she saw actual _trees_.

"So...uh where is this place?" Korra inquired as Mako's platoon set off onto a dirt trail.

"An island that once belonged to a group of elite warriors dedicated to the ways of someone named Kyoshi." Mako explained. "It was part of the conquests in the great war. Phoenix Lord Azula decided to conquer it for herself, and make it the training ground for her personal guard. The Jade Sentinels."

She had heard stories of the famed Sentinels from the warden during her training. The Jade Sentinels were based off of Phoenix Lord Azula's former elite team. To become a Sentinel, you had to be three things, very proficient at fire bending; deadly with weapons; and knowledgeable in the arts of chi blocking. Only skill counted in the Sentinels, so you could be anyone, a peasant or a noble, so long as you had absolute loyalty to the Phoenix Lord and the skill to back it up.

It also came with perks, Mako explained. Jade Sentinels were the highest ranked order in the Fire Nation Military, answerable only to Phoenix Lord Azula herself. Since they were given the most deadly and covert missions, they also had the authority to overrule generals and admirals if they feel they need to, but with the fall of the Earth Kingdom, they became less active and they had taken mostly to spying and assassinating for Azula and protecting the throne.

"Wow, you must have friends in high places." Korra whistled, impressed.

"You can say that." Mako replied. "It's been a while since I've last visited here though, and so much has changed."

It didn't take long before they reached the gates of a fortress, and the Southern Raiders stopped as the guard at the gate, a young woman wearing a jet black armored kimono and faceplate, barred their entry with a spear. The armor itself was featureless, save for some silk threads and a gold insignia of the Fire Nation_._

"Halt." The Sentinel said gruffly. "No one enters without express permission from Phoenix Lord Azula or Grand Master Ty Lee."

Before Mako could open his mouth to talk, a voice emerged from the trees above the group.

"Don't worry, he's with me." The voice was feminine and carried the weight of authority.

The Sentinel at the gate bowed low. "At once Mistress."

Suddenly, there was a blur of motion around them as shapes began falling from the treetops above. Before the disturbed leaves even had a chance to fall onto the ground, Korra noticed that they were surrounded by five more of these black armored warriors, each one holding a katana to their throats.

"You're getting sloppy Mako, we've been tailing you since you left the ship." The lead girl was wearing an iron plated face mask, but even Korra could detect the grin beneath it. She was also armed differently than the other Sentinel warriors, sporting a black sword to go along with her armor.

Mako returned the grin, as though he were ignoring the fact that the deadly assassin was holding a blade to his throat. "I'd figure you were out of practice, guess I was wrong."

"Never doubt a Sentinel of Phoenix Lord Azula." She took off the face mask to reveal the face of a stunningly beautiful girl, her black hair flowing freely as she took off the helmet.

"Korra," Mako introduced the mysterious girl, "Meet the second-in-command of the Jade Sentinels, a former Southern Raider and a close friend."

"Sato of the Black Blade." Mako said the nick name with amusement.

"Please, no need to use my working name." The girl sighed, flashing a friendly smile towards Korra and extending her hand towards her.

"You can just call me Asami."

"Nice to meet you Asami." Korra shook the hand, her grip was firm.

"Whatever you came for, I'm sure it's important if Mako had to drag you out here." She said with a smirk. "I'll set you up in our guest quarters for now, we can discuss business in the morning."

"Thanks Asami," Mako nodded. "Always appreciated."

"Don't mention it." Asami replied. "I'm sure whatever it is, it's worth my time."

* * *

Admiral Chan paced furiously across the deck of the _Judgement_. Impatiently awaiting word from the marines of his elite guard. As soon as he saw that the two water tribe raiders were headed north east, he had assembled several squads of his finest marine guards and sent them to the mainland, looking to cut them off. He was expecting word from them any minute.

That, plus the naval detachment he had ordered south to blockade the surrounding waterways would be enough, he figured. _Never trust a warden with an admiral's job._

He was confident that it would be enough to capture the two raiders. Nay, it may have even been a bit of an overkill. But it had been a while since the Fire Navy had anything closely resembling a challenge. Such an exercise would be good for the fleet, no doubt._  
_

Still, he was feeling a bit concerned that he had not received any messages yet from either his marines or the naval squadron. It was unlike his men to be tardy.

At that moment, as if to answer his prayers, a naval lieutenant showed up, with a decoded message in hand.

"Sir, we received a wire from the naval detachment. And your marines."

"Go on." Chan replied calmly.

The lieutenant gulped. "They were forced back to port for repairs sir, there was a Water Tribe attack."

That put a dent into Chan's composure, he frowned. "Impossible, they've never been able to defeat us before."

"They...they surprised the fleet sir, with a type of new weapon. Under water ships."

So the water tribes had managed to come up with a brand new method of attack, using vehicles that could go beneath the waves. That would explain how they were able to elude his fleets for so long, and put a new dimension on the raids. Still, he found the idea of the Water Tribe savages coming up with new tactics a refreshing change of pace, and long overdue. He smirked inwardly, this would mean his ships would see action yet.

"There's also more sir. From the marine squad." The lieutenant continued.

"Yes?" Chan said impatiently.

"They encountered the water tribe raiders inland, on the southern part of the continent."

"So they've been apprehended then?" Chan replied.

"No sir. The squad came under attack from an unknown enemy." The lieutenant continued reading. "No... not unknown, the reports state that it was the Blue Spirit. He attacked and crippled several more squads before they could pursue."

Chan's eyes widened in shock. "Are you certain?"

"Yes sir." The lieutenant re-read the report.

"Forget the water tribe prisoners then, the warden can have his men search for him." Chan said gruffly, brushing off the minor detail. For the lieutenant, something unknown seemed to have possessed the Admiral, for his eyes were lighting up with glee.

"Get word to Phoenix Lord Azula, we'll send another fleet to deal with the raiders, but for now, our fleet is to go to the Earth kingdom. We'll devote our resources to hunting down the Blue Spirit."

"Sir?" The lieutenant asked, confused.

"Repeat the order." Chan said impatiently, and when the lieutenant did as asked, he dismissed him.

Chan meanwhile, looked ahead at the horizon with anticipation. Only three people in the empire knew the identity of the Blue Spirit, and Chan relished a chance at the prospect of being the one to finally capture his lifelong enemy.

"So you're still fighting your misguided little war Zuko?" he mused. "Don't worry, I'll catch you soon enough. Then I'll make you wish you were burned along with your family." He smiled, recalling the memory.

The hunt was on.

* * *

_The land was burning and pillars of smoke twisted into the air for miles around, raining ash and soot from the heavens. _

_Above, the sky was a murderous bright red, from the fires and the blood that had been spilled this day. The battle was intense and fierce, lasting over several days, and the twisted husks of tanks and broken ships lay at the beach as proof of that struggle.  
_

_The defenders had been valiant, but it was not enough. The fleet of Fire Nation ships, almost limitless in number, began edging closer to the shores even as they shot fire blasts at the surrounding forests and villages. There was not much time left.  
_

_The last of the defenders crowded around the foot of the village, two dozen in total. All that was left of a once proud order. Their weapons and armor burnt and charred in various states of disarray, but they stood defiant, even as the invaders were approaching for their final stand.  
_

_Two figures stood at the head of the group. A strong able bodied man with the build of a warrior, and another, a girl in green armor.  
_

_"You have to leave." The girl said sternly. "You're the last chance your people have. I'll hold them off as long as I can."  
_

_"I'm not going without you, not until we save your people." The young man replied, just as furious.  
_

_"There's no time!" She shouted. "A fleet is already heading towards the North Pole. At least here, I can hold them back, but you have to save your home. You have to save your family..."  
_

_"You are my family." The man said fiercely, tugging at her arm protectively, implying what they both already knew to be true.  
_

_The girl turned, tears welling in her eyes as she heard his words. "I know...I'll always be with you..." She smiled sadly, giving the man a warm embrace.  
_

_Then, she punched him expertly in the liver, causing the man to hurl forward in pain. He tried to get up, but he found himself paralyzed. As he collapsed, the girl took the opportunity to arm herself with a black sword that man dropped.  
_

_"Get him far away." She ordered the guards with a finality that shocked them all. "Save your people."  
_

_The guards, sensing that their time was short, complied and dragged the young man by his shoulders.  
_

_"No..." The man shouted, still paralyzed, but fighting vainly against the pull of arms as the warriors carried him back. _

_"SUKI!" He shouted one last time, even as the Wolf Tail Warriors pulled him away.  
_

_"I love you Sokka." she whispered softly, then, steeling up her courage, her face became a cold mask as she unsheathed her sword. She turned, and with an iron will, she faced the enemy, a proud warrior. _

_Three women had emerged from the first of the Fire Transports, followed by a legion of heavily armed soldiers. Over a thousand in total.  
_

_Against them, stood only two dozen of the green armored warriors. All of them defiant__ and ready. _

_"How noble... And utterly foolish." The lead girl, resplendent in royal Fire Nation armor smirked, blue fire already glowing in her palms. Flanked by her two friends, it was obvious that the warriors were outclassed. "You know, you probably didn't buy him any time at all. I've already sent half the fleet north."  
_

_"He'll make it." She said firmly, confidently. "Besides Princess, your business is with me tonight."  
_

_"So it is... I'll be sure to write something flattering on your tombstone." She said mockingly.  
_

_"If you think that's supposed to scare me, you're dead wrong." Suki replied grimly.  
_

_"Now now, no need for such hostility." She waved the threat off with a casual smile. "I'll have you know I'm not totally without mercy. In fact, I'll give you what you're asking for." _

_She smiled cruelly. _

_"A warrior's death. Yes, that will do nicely."  
_

_She turned towards the captain of the Phoenix Guard. Behind him, stood hundreds of soldiers, all in formation.  
_

_"Commence the attack."  
_

_"At once, Princess." The guard nodded.  
_

_"Kyoshi's!" Suki cried defiantly, raising the black sword. "ATTACK!" She ran furiously at the princess, sword raised and the princess simply smiled.  
_

_There was a blast of solid blue flame, and screaming. _

_The pain was excruciating as more blue flames filled her vision. _

She felt a slight pain in her head, she tossed and turned.

_"You can't be doing this…it's not in you!" Another voice cried out, pain and grief stricken in its voice  
_

_"WATCH ME."_

_The screams were quickly cut off by another more urgent voice._

_"No..."_

A small chill ran down her spine, the second voice was hauntingly familiar

_More flames. More screams growing louder now, until they finally stopped, engulfed in blue flames. And then. Nothing.  
_

Korra shot straight up from her bed, gasping as if she had just been through a marathon. She almost wanted to scream, just as the person in the vision screamed.

A nightmare…just a nightmare. And yet, it was so hauntingly familiar. She began to slow down her breath now, feeling the heart rate go down. A few drops of sweat began running down her face.

She took a look at her arm now, saw that there were no signs, no marks. But still, something didn't feel right.

"What...what was that?"

* * *

**Thanks everyone for the reads/reviews and faves :) Merry Christmas to you all!**


	12. The Southern Earth Kingdom

**Chapter 12 : The Southern Earth Kingdom**

* * *

High General Giam took a quiet sip of tea as the contemplated the view from his perch. He was in the highest room of the royal palace, rebuilt at the peak of the city, and overlooking the surrounding mountains and valleys of Omashu. The trademark delivery slides, earthen canals upon which goods and supplies were delivered via earthbending, shone like golden lines in the sun, connecting all the vital parts of the city together in a beautiful tapestry of masonry. It was a scene of ancient beauty, one that had endured for hundreds of years since the founding of the city by the legendary earth benders, Oma and Shu. Indeed, with such peace and beauty, it was hard to comprehend the danger that was threatening the land. For there was a war raging still; one that had started over a century ago and would probably continue on to the end of time.

The city had fallen once, long ago during the first hundred years war, and the scars of the conflict were still evident throughout the land; from the charred remains of scattered trees to smoking craters that still dotted the landscape. It saddened him, for he remembered in his youth the lush green forests of the region, now, there was nothing but ash.

The biggest change of all though, were the factories, giant towering structures made of black steel.

When the Fire Nation had conquered Omashu, temporarily re-naming it New Ozai, they had torn down many of the stone buildings and towers, replacing them with newly forged steel structures instead. It was an ugly look that endured until the Day of the Black Sun, when King Bumi had managed to single-handedly reconquer the city. In the end, he saved the Earth Kingdom. After the treachery of the Dai Li, and the fall of Ba Sing Se, it was to Omashu where the remnants of the Earth Kingdom armies had retreated to and where they regrouped.

It was said that Old King Bumi's spirit broke when he received word of the Avatar's death, and he passed on soon after, leaving the city in chaos. From that, as the last standing member of the Earth King's council of Five, General Giam became Omashu's new master and protector.

And so the Earth Kingdom Armies stayed, forging the core of what would become the new Southern Earth Kingdom. With the armies, the steel war factories and towers remained as a necessity, to defend against future Fire Natino attacks. It was a sad fact that a city once reknowned for its natural beauty and splendour was now converted into a steel arsenal of weapons and war, but such was the decree of fate.

He watched with approval as the dark green formations of troops assembled at the base of his palace, next to the newly forged Earth tanks and squadrons of cavalry. It was not much when compared to the endless legions the Earth King had at his disposal, but he was confident in them. These soldiers had endured the most bitter and humiliating of defeats, having lost Ba Sing Se without a fight to traitors within. And although many an experienced officer had fallen in the hellish retreat back to Omashu, the cowards, deserters and shirkers were all gone as well, leaving only a core of veterans as hard as steel, eager to avenge themselves and restore the honor of the Earth Kingdom and its people. More than that, they were loyal to him, as he was to them, and together, he swore, they would sweep across the continent, purge out every last trace of Fire nation scum and throw them all into the sea. Then, they would rebuild, and take the war to the Fire Nation islands, where they would repay the horrors of the last century a thousand fold.

That, at least, was the dream. But many a battle lay between that dream, and reality. This was the last Earth Army left, and he couldn't waste it or throw it away as that foolish boy King Kuei had done.

His eyes focused as he look on a map of the Earth Kingdom spread out before him on a stone table, with various green and red markers on the continent denoting the position of Fire nation and Earth Kingdom troops, with the red ones outnumbering his own green markers tremendously.

There were two locations that were the strength of Fire Nation power in the Earth Kingdom. The old ruined capital of Ba Sing Se, and this new, wretched city built on the north western coast called New Ozai. It was here where the Phoenix Lord made her capital, and to Giam, it represented a scar on his homeland that needed to be expunged.

But in order to do that, he needed the right pieces.

At that moment, an officer in heavy armor walked into the room, saluting to the High General.

"Sir, the ambassador from the Northern Water Tribe is here to see you."

"Excellent." The General replied, "Send them in."

The guard bowed, and within moments, an escort of spear wielding green soldiers marched into the room, surrounding the ambassador.

High General Giam gave an amused grin as he saw his guest.

She did not look of the water tribes, indeed, her complexion was more of the Earth Kingdom. In addition to that, she was dressed in a heavy green armored Kimono. Her face painted white with gold braids strewn on her uniform. At her side, were two antique golden war fans, typical to the Kyoshi warriors of the past.

"I was expecting someone from the North Pole." The general mused. "I did not expect to a Kyoshi warrior, and one so young at that."

The girl showed no impression of being intimidated by the guards and being under the gaze of the most powerful man in the Southern Earth Kingdom. Indeed, she gave the impression the she was capable of fending for herself, even with a platoon of his finest guards in the room. He respected that, knowing all too well that age was no barrier to being a great warrior.

"I'm Niska. Daughter of the lead Councilman of the Water tribes." She said, "And my father sent me as an act of good faith in the negotiations."

That made Giam raise an eyebrow. "That's very noble of your father, but also very foolish. What makes him think I can't detain you right now?"

"You might be able to." she admitted without batting an eyelash. "But you will find that you can't hold me. The reach of the Wolf Tail and a Kyoshi, can go far." She stated flatly.

The High General smiled at that remark. The girl was a brave one, and he could respect that, even if (despite her best efforts at hiding it) he noticed that she was tensing up and breathing heavily from nervousness.

"Ah, that is all fine. I was just testing you." The general replied genially, settling into his chair comfortably. "You have no need to fear Niska. I'll only wish talk with you, and you have my word that you are safe within my walls. After all, the Water tribes and the Southern Earth Kingdom should work together after all, against the common enemy. All I ask is that you relay this same message to the resistance in Gaoling."

Niska tensed as he said that last remark. There was no official unified resistance within the Earth Kingdom, despite what High General Giam wanted to think. Instead, it was a smattering of resistance forces operating in Ba Sing Se, the Great plains, and small cities such as Gao Ling, each with their own agendas. It was Giam's ambition to see them all unified under his control, and he had already succeeded in threatening and bullying several other groups into joining his army, which made the other resistance forces more hesitant.

"I only wish to convey to General Bei Fong that we should not be fighting each other, we need to be unified if we hope to have a chance of defeating the Fire Nation."

"Unified, and under your control, is that it?"

"Isn't that the most logical? I'm sensing Bei Fong doesn't trust me here, your presence basically tells me that." The general continued, feigning ignorance.

"And with good reason. Why did you ambush our convoys and take our people prisoner?" Niska asked rather pointedly.

"An exagerration my dear ambassador. I don't make prisoners of my own people." The general said nonchalantly. "Think of them as my honored guests, at least, until General Bei Fong sees reason and have her metal benders join my army."

"I'm sorry, but I've been asked to tell you that it won't happen, so long as you are holding them hostage."

"Then the negotiations are at an end," the General waved the girl away, he had other matters to attend to. "Tell General Bei Fong what you've seen here and what I've said. My offer stands, all she needs to do is accept it."

"I will let her know your exact words." Niska said grimly,

Giam smiled. "See that you do. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a Kingdom to save."

The Kyoshi warrior turned around and left, not wanting to hear anymore of the General's lies. It was what she expected, and planned for. Now, she was deep within the enemy's citadel and she would carry out her mission, all she needed was the location of the hostages.

* * *

The Earth Kingdom convoy slowly made its way out of the dense and dark forests, emerging instead on a windy mountain road. As they got further along the road, they passed by whole forests of scorched trees, along with the burnt out ruins of several villages. It was a depressing sight, and also dangerous, keeping everyone on edge.

When the cavalrymen weren't out patrolling ahead for bandits and Fire nation soldiers, and Noatak and Tarrlok found themselves passing the time with the lead Captain, Lee.

"So," Tarrlok asked out of curiosity, figuring it was good to start some conversation in the depressing setting. "How did you find yourself out here?"

"Same as anyone I suppose," Lee replied. "The Fire Nation destroyed my village on the day of the Great Burning."

Noatak heard of the term, which was referring to the day when Fire Lord Ozai scorched every inch of Earth Kingdom with his Comet-infused soldiers.

"That must have been awful." The waterbender replied sympathetically.

"It was, but I can't be too hung up about it." Lee said gruffly. "After all, I wasn't the only one who lost a home, or a family member to the war." He stared at Noatak as he spoke the words, and the older waterbender nodded in assent. In these times, it was hard to find a family anywhere that was untouched by the fighting.

"When I was young," Lee continued softly. "My brother, Sensu, went off to fight in the war before Ba Sing Se fell. We waited so long for his return, I must have lost track of the years... but he never came back. I've been looking for him ever since, or at least, to try to find out what happened. to him"

"I'm sorry to hear that." Tarrlok replied sincerely, looking at his own older brother as he walked. He couldn't imagine what it would have been like growing up without Noatak by his side, guiding and protecting him. He truly felt for Lee as he told them the story of how he grew up without his older brother. Noatak, not comfortable with these kinds of conversations, pretended not to hear, but occasionally offered a sympathetic nod.

"Thanks..." Lee replied, his eyes still forlorn and looking ahead. "It also didn't help that my family was being bullied and extorted by a gang of Earth Soldiers. Cowards who did garrison duty to avoid the war. They were scum, but I was too little to fight back."

"What did you do?" The young waterbender asked.

"I didn't do anything..." Lee gripped the reins of his ostrich-horse tightly. "A stranger helped us, he saved my family, taught me how to use a sword." Lee gestured to the dual dao sabbards at his side. "But it turned out he was a Fire Bender."

Both Tarrlok and Noatak fell silent at that remark, unsure of what to say.

"I know. Ironic right?" Lee said bitterly. "Firebenders were the reason why my brother was gone in the first place, yet one saves my family, arrogantly thinking that it would make everything right. It disgusted me."

"I've learned long ago that nothing good can come out of the Fire Nation. They do nothing but destroy. Even those who think they are here to help us, they still only know how to burn, whether they mean to or not. That's why we've got to keep fighting, to win this war. And kick them out of our homelands." Lee said intensely, with a passion that reminded Noatak of his own.

"That, we can agree on." Noatak nodded. "Which is why we need to get home, to carry on the fight on our shores."

Lee nodded, "I'll do what I can to help. There are supplies we can pick up where we're heading. We can get you both fixed up and on your way. I can even lend you some ostrich horses if you need to go overland, but you'll have to avoid the Fire Nation patrols."

"I've got something in mind." Noatak said confidently, "We'll be fine."

"Good to hear." Lee remarked, just as the convoy crested over the hill, revealing to everyone a magnificent view of the peaks and valleys ahead. To both Tarrlok and Noatak, they were treated to a grand sight, a majestic city of stone and steel, literally built on a mountain, with a dominating view for miles around.

"Here we are." Lee said proudly. "Welcome to the City of Omashu."

* * *

It didn't take long before the Convoy passed the gates, with the Earth Guards giving Noatak and Tarrlok funny looks until Captain Lee allowed them to pass. As the massive stone gates parted for the convoy, the brothers were assaulted by the sights, sounds and smells of the big city. Everywhere around them, there were carts, people and animals, all mixed into this perfect balance of order and chaos.

Lee pointed Noatak to the direction of the market place, where it was the best place to get new supplies and gear. After thanking him for the help, the two brothers set off on their own ways towards the market.

"Wow Noatak!" Tarrlok shouted excitedly as he ran towards a weapons cart. "A boomerang! You think we can get one?"

"Quiet Tarrlok," Noatak snapped. "We're not here to shop for toys. I don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

That remark took Tarrlok by surprise, after all, they pretty much stuck out like sore thumbs in this crowd of Earth Kingdom citizens.

"A toy? didn't you hear the stories of Councilman Sokka? A boomerang could be a great weapon for me!"

"And how much training have you done with one? Can you be sure to use it correctly in a life or death situation?" Noatak demanded.

At that, Tarrlok fell silent.

Noatak sighed, deciding he didn't want to come off as too harsh.

"Look, we've just got to be more careful with our decisions around here. We're in the middle of Earth Kingdom territory, yes, but don't assume everyone's your friend. Keep it simple, nothing extravagant that we don't need, or can't use. We'll get our supplies, then leave."

"Without even saying thanks or goodbye to Lee?" Tarrlok asked.

Noatak shook his head. "If we can, yes, if not, what difference does it make? Our mission is to get back home."

"If you say so brother..." Tarrlok sighed in defeat, giving up on the thought of the boomerang.

Just as the brothers were about to walk deeper into the market however, a voice called out from behind.

"Noatak?"

At that, Noatak instinctively turned around, ready to bend the water out of his flask in defence, but at the sight of the stranger, he stayed his hand. Both the water tribe brothers widened their eyes in surprise as they saw the familiar face.

"Niska?" Noatak blurted out, completely caught unawares by the Kyoshi warrior standing in front of them. It was one thing to see a fellow wolf tail out in the field, but the last person he expected to see was his childhood friend, as well as the councilman's daughter.

"What are you doing here?" Noatak asked.

"I'm on a mission for Councilman Sokka," she explained, "But I could say the same for you two...I didn't imagine running into you two here."

Both brothers exchanged glances.

"It's a long story." Tarrlok replied wearily, not wanting to explain the whole situation again.

Niska, curiously, was not interested in it either.

"We can do stories later," she whispered quietly, huddling in with both brothers so that only they could hear what she said next.

"Right now, I need your help."

* * *

**Happy new year everyone! And thanks for the faves/reviews/follows!**

**Jokermask18 - **How do we know these aren't visions of aang? ;) all will be explained eventually

**Kamil is awesome** - Yes indeed, you are on the right track ;)

**Cindz Cindz - **Thanks Cindz! glad you liked the Kyoshis, they were also one of my favourite parts of the show. As for Suki, perhaps there will be more later :)

**Once A Blue Moon **- without giving too much away, I eventually am planning on addressing the fate of Team azula later on

**A Random Chick - **Thanks so much! I'm flattered that you consider this story one of the 'gems'. I hope future chapters are just as good for you!

**BeTheAmorrian23** - glad you liked it :) and yes, i felt bad typing the whip part too, but it must be done for the story! As for the Amorra, it's way too early for me to reveal anything like this haha, but i can say it's up in the air right now.


	13. Resolve

**Chapter 13 : Resolve  
**

* * *

With dawn, came light food and water, and a summons from Asami that they were ready for the meeting. Hide and On Ji however, were ordered to stay behind with the rest of the Southern Raiders while Korra and Mako went into the fort. Their escorts, four silent armored Sentinels, led the pair through the inner most chambers of the fortress, adorned with crimson banners and gold embroidery. Great tapestries of past victories and Fire Lords decorated the halls they passed, a chronicle of the prestige and power of a nation that gave birth to this deadly order.

As they entered one of the first dueling fields and training courtyards, Korra thought the Sentinels were indeed a marvel to watch. Even before the sun had cast its first rays on the the Fire Nation flags fluttering above the fortress, they were already on the parade square conducting drills and training full armor. They numbered several dozen members, all warriors in the black kimono armor, and they moved as though they were one, going through various swordforms with such elegance and deadly precision that it made Korra's own exercises back at the prison seem like a clumsy dance. Others were locked in spars, fighting each other with a combination of weapons, chi blocking and advanced fire bending forms.

It was no wonder that many of the Fire Nation, and their enemies considered them the best warriors on the planet. They were deadly, silent, precise, and under their calm, calculating exterior visage lay an intense, almost feral savagery that they brought to the battlefield.

"Impressive isn't it?" Asami said pointedly as she emerged to greet her guests. Mako and Korra both offered the perfunctory military bows, which Asami returned before gesturing them into the visiting chambers.

"You can say that," Korra said in awe. "I've...I've never seen anyone move or fight like this before."

"Neither have our enemies," Asami replied. "Until it is too late, that is. Consider this a privilege, not many have seen the Sentinels in training. They only see the results."

"Remind me not to get on your bad side then." Korra joked.

"You learn quick," the sentinel laughed, "Although some people don't remember it as often as they should." She looked teasingly at Mako.

As they entered the guest chambers, Asami led them to a simple table where several cups of tea was served. The three sat down quietly, Korra keeping her form ramrod straight, not wanting to upset the still-aching scars on her back, while Mako and Asami leaned forward as they each drank.

"To be honest, I'm half surprised you showed your face here Mako, after what happened last time. This must be some favor you're asking of me." Asami looked at Mako with a grim smile, and he seemed to flush a bit under the pressure. Korra meanwhile, was surprised for two reasons. One, he had never seem sergeant 'calm and collected' so flustered before, secondly, she thought. Mako...with Asami?!

"Look," Mako began speaking rather awkwardly at Korra. "It's not what you think."

"It's exactly what you think." Asami finished smoothly, with an almost amused tone. To Korra, she sounded she was over whatever went on between them, but it was obvious Asami still couldn't resist one last jab at the Sergeant. The Sentinel Warrior sipped her tea quietly, enjoying every moment of Mako's discomfort. To Korra's surprise, she kind of liked seeing this side of Mako for once; when he had absolutely no idea what to do. It was too amusing.

"That was in the past, back when we were Southern Raiders." Mako explained uselessly, which only made Korra raise more eyebrows.

After what seemed like an eternity (to Mako at least), Asami simply chuckled, deciding she had let Mako had enough.

"Ancient history, as Mako said. Let's not look back in the past." Asami said nonchalantly. "I had my pursuits, and Mister big shot here had his own, simple as that."

"Look, I'm sorry if you got hurt...I didn't mean it." Mako said at last, almost sighing as if he were repeating an old apology. " No hard feelings okay?"

"Of course not Mako, I understand, no hard feelings" Asami grinned, calmly taking another sip from her tea. "Otherwise, that would have been poisoned tea you drank just now."

Korra did her best to suppress a chuckle as Mako gulped down the last drops of his tea. "Heh right. I guess I can count myself lucky."

"You better." Asami said teasingly, then continued in a more formal, serious tone. "In any case, what brings you all the way here? You obviously didn't come here to reminisce. I thought you were busy guarding Water Tribe Prisoners." Asami turned to Korra. "No offense of course."

"Believe me, It's okay, I get it." Korra waved off the apology wearily. "I've heard enough of it already as it is."

Asami smirked. She liked this girl already.

"We were," Mako replied, more focused and serious as well. "We are on the hunt for two high profile fugitives that recently escaped from the South Pole. From what Korra tells me, they are elite water benders, taking down platoons of our troops singlehanded."

"I can see why you've come to us then." Asami replied noncommittedly.

"There's something else." Korra added grimly. "They have some other kind of bending, one I've never seen before. That allows them to control the blood inside your body."

Asami's eyes fluttered at the mention of it. "It sounds...horrible."

"He called it, 'bloodbending'." She cringed at the mention of the word, recalling the horrible painful memory of having her blood pushed against its will throughout her body

"I've heard the rumors of this art." Asami commented. "They say it's an urban myth."

"It felt real enough to me." Korra said quietly, flinching slightly as another shot of pain went through her back.

The Sentinel nodded with sympathy. "Still, what do you propose to do? What does this have to do with me?"

This time, it was Mako's turn to speak up. "The Sentinels are well known not only as assassins and warriors, but also as trackers. We figured you could be a great asset."

"That would be right..." Asami replied carefully.

"Not only that," Mako continued. "You have one of the best spy networks in the Empire, as Phoenix Lord Azula's eyes and ears. You must have heard something about two escaped prisoners making it to the mainland, otherwise, your reputation would just be for show."

At that, Asami gave a skeptical look on her face. "That is also true. And you expect to come in here, a mere sergeant of the Southern Raiders, and ask the Phoenix Lord's personal guard to help you in your little quest?"

"Yeah." Mako said uneasily, "I figured it is in our Lord's interest that we track all her enemies. It's not like the Sentinels had much more to do in the field lately."

It was a weak excuse, and both of them knew it. While Asami stared intently at Mako, trying to gauge his sincerity, he was desperately trying to think of a way through this. It was true that Asami was an expert tracker, and could probably hunt the prisoners down in no time, but that wasn't the only reason he went here.

In truth, the other reason he wanted Asami was so that she could possibly induct Korra into the Sentinels. It was as good of a plan as he could have come up with for his promise to Senna. Jade Sentinels were the elite of the elite in the Empire, granted rank and privileges reserved typically for the highest echelons of Fire Nation nobility. In the field, they had the power to overrule any commanding officer up to a High General for missions. Mako could not think of a better way of granting her the freedom that her parents wanted for her. It was a long shot though, for induction into the Sentinels was rare and exclusive, but from his time with Korra, he figured if anyone had a shot at it, she did.

It also seemed like Asami was onto his game, as she suddenly stole a glance at Korra. Then she replied.

"The resources of the Phoenix Lord's elite guard aren't just to be given away lightly. You must earn our services."

"How so?" Korra jumped in impatiently before Mako could reply, tired of being a mere spectator to all these head games between the two. Time was being wasted and every minute spent here was one less spent out there looking for the two water benders.

"An Agni Kai." Asami smiled smoothly, pointing at Korra. "With you."

"Wait, what?!" Mako stated in confusion, he was hoping that Asami would simply lend a hand, and maybe in time, consider Korra as a potential recruit. He never thought in a million years to have Korra fight Asami, especially now since she was still recovering from her injuries.

"Why?" Mako asked

"Well, aside from the fact that I can kick your butt any day of the week." She smiled. "I'm very curious. She's obviously got some talent, or else she wouldn't be sitting here with you."

"You're not a bender." Mako noted quietly. "So it wouldn't be an Agni Kai."

"And you think that puts me at a disadvantage?" Asami gave a cocky smirk. "A friendly spar. Agni Kai. whatever you call it, it's all the same to me."

"I thought you needed to be a firebender to be a Sentinel?" Korra blinked in surprise.

At this, Asami gave a cocky grin. "Usually you do, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to how good you are."

"It's true, you don't get into the Sentinels for nothing." Mako confirmed. "In fact, Asami is the only non-bender to have ever reached her rank, that tells you how good she is in the other skills."

"You flatter me too much Mako." She said slyly, then looked at Korra. "Well, what do you say?"

"This isn't a good idea." Mako whispered.

Korra remained silent, gathering her thoughts.

"You think you're strong enough to fight? I saw you limping a bit on the way in, so you must have had an injury recently." Asami commented, deciding there was no harm in letting Korra know of her observation. It wouldn't change a thing in her mind, and it offered Korra a chance to back away honorably. She knew the type of game Mako was playing, and she would not hold back.

"I know so." Korra replied in a firm, confident tone; ignoring the pain and refusing to back down, her eyes were focused and determined.

"You're a warrior after my own spirit." Asami flashed a smile, "But don't think I'll go easy on you."

"I won't let you." Korra found herself returning the grin.

"Very well then," Asami nodded. "Then let's see if you've got the right stuff. We'll duel first thing at dawn. And your weapon of choice?"

Korra shot a quick glance at Mako, who was doing his best to hide his nervousness at this confrontation.

"Swords." Korra replied almost without hesitation.

* * *

That night, Korra found herself in the dueling yard by herself, spinning through the various sword forms that she remembered during her time with Mako. The jian hissed through the air as she cut her way through the motions that she spent hours upon hours memorizing. As she moved faster and faster, the blade seemed like a mere extension of her body, one that she could bend to her will. Had an unfortunate bystander stepped in beside her, she would have cut him into several pieces, at least, that's what she hoped it looked like.

Korra's focus suddenly snapped as another wave of burning pain shot up her back. She grunted softly, dropping the sword onto the ground and leaning on a post to prop herself up.

_Ignore it. _

_Push through it. _

_Be Strong._

She closed her eyes, breathing slowly as she gritted her teeth. By all rights, she shouldn't have been straining herself too much lest her old wounds opened up. But there was no time, and this was her one shot to enlist someone who could find those two prisoners on her side. She already swore to herself that she would do anything to achieve her goal, this was simply one of the obstacles she would overcome.

Korra picked up the sword again, raising it and trying to imagine her opponent, and how she would attack him.

It wasn't helping however, that the opponent she was imagining was that nightmarish Wolf Tail warrior. His eyes were cold and inhuman, and _the sound of her own blood pushing against the bones and muscles of her body. The burning pain. The feeling of blood being drained from her organs and crushing against the back of her eyes and skull...  
_

Korra realized that as she held the sword up, it was rattling in her hands. She was trembling.

_With what? fear?_

It was an emotion she never expected or encountered before a fight, and it disturbed her.

Did that water tribe boy unrattle her that much?

"You're hesitating." A voice said behind her, and Korra almost jumped back in surprise, but saw that it was only Mako. She breathed a small sign of relief.

"Are you okay?" Mako asked.

"I'll be fine." Korra quietly sheathed the sword, pulling a cloak from a nearby stand around her. It was getting chilly.

"Scared?" Mako couldn't help but noticing Korra's shaky hands from before.

"No. I'm not." She insisted, even if she was, it wasn't about Asami.

"I would be." Mako admitted. "Asami's one of the best fighters in the Empire after all. She's bested me several times in our spars when we were in the Raiders together.""

"You're. Not. Helping." Korra grumbled irritably.

Mako laughed. "Haha, sorry, I was just kidding. Thought I'd lighten up the mood. I'm here to see how you're doing. You don't seem like your old self."

"I'm just a little rusty, that's all." Korra sighed, sitting down on a nearby bench.

To her surprise, Mako placed a hand on her shoulder as he sat down next to here, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

She looked at him, and he simply smiled encouragingly.

"Hey, it's okay, there's no need to feel nervous, just remember the sword forms I taught you. You can do this."

Korra nodded. She appreciated the words of encouragement, but this was something she was used to, something that she had done all her life. Nevertheless, she gave an exhausted smile.

"Thanks. I'm just tired...some rest tonight will do me good."

Mako simply nodded, both of them sitting for a bit, until Korra turned and look at him.

"Mako...there's always been something I've been meaning to ask." Korra began.

"Yes?"

"Why are you helping me?" She asked, genuinely curious. "I mean, I appreciate it and all, but you're going a lot out of your way to help me out."

"Well..." Mako settled back on the bench. "There's something special about you. I just can't explain."

He looked at her with a teasing smile. "Who knows? Maybe you're the one destined to end the war and lead the Fire nation to victory!"

"Right. Real funny city boy." Korra grumbled.

"Okay, that was a bad one." Mako admitted with a smirk, then settled back as he thought it through.

"I guess, it's because of my father." Mako said thoughtfully.

"Your father?" Korra asked.

"Yeah." Mako reaffirmed his answer. "He taught me that everyone deserves a fair shot. And just seeing you back at the prison reminded me a lot of what my family's gone through."

"Somehow, I really doubt that." Korra murmured.

"Maybe not completely." Mako admitted. "But I know what it's like to be treated like a second class citizen. To not be given the same chances as everyone. I'm a colonial after all. And my brother is an Earth bender, so that kind of makes him the black sheep of our home town. I had to look out for him since we were kids, especially when..we lost our parents to the war." He said stiffly.

"I'm...I'm sorry to hear that." Korra didn't think life was all easy for Mako, but she certainly didn't imagine him losing his parents. She couldn't even imagine how she could grow up without her own.

"Like I said, I'm not totally oblivious to how tough life can be." He replied sympathetically.

"My mother passed away early on, while my father was a general in the army, lost in the war." Mako explained. "It was tough having them gone, raising my brother alone. But they were good people, and I learned a lot from them."

"My father showed me that the Fire Nation can be a force for good, to bring the world together and provide equal opportunity and prosperity to everyone. It was his dream to make it so." Mako said with a passion that surprised even himself.

Korra almost wanted to puke at that statement. "Bring the world together? Maybe bring the whole world together under one happy internment camp, that's the more accurate way of putting it."

Mako nodded quietly, realizing where this was going. "I admit, they've made a lot of mistakes along the way."

"That's probably the biggest understatement of the century." Korra said bluntly.

"When the warden and his goons arrested me." she continued with a cold anger in her voice, "They cared only about one thing. The fact that I'm a water tribe girl. They didn't care for anything I said in my defense, my testimonies, my past record; no, all that mattered to him was that I wasn't a pure-blooded Fire Nation girl. He called me a traitor, and a useless colonial and told me I would get my just deserved punishment. Now, I'm basically just the warden's lap dog." she clenched her fist.

"No offense Mako, but I don't think the reality was anything close to what you just described." she said bitterly. Korra didn't intend to say this much, but she found it hard to stop once she began. Getting that off her chest wasn't easy, and even now, she found herself wiping her eyes.

Mako sighed, feeling the anger build up as he heard that, mainly at the injustice that was brought upon Korra, not just by his own countryman, but almost it seems, by fate itself. He still held onto his father's red scarf. The same father who had given his life for the good of the nation, only to the protect bullies and cowards that had imprisoned and abused the girl sitting beside him. That thought disgusted him.

More than that though, he genuinely liked and admired Korra. She had been fighting all her life, and getting nothing but scraps in return. She deserved at least something after all the setbacks she had to deal with. He was determined to make it up to her. To show her that the world wasn't as bleak as it looked. and that there really was opportunity within the Fire Nation for her and her family.

"I know, and that's what I keep fighting." He said passionately. "To make it my countryman see the error of their ways; so that everyone gets an equal chance. It's my goal to show the world what the Fire Nation can really be capable of."

Korra simply crossed her arms skeptically in response. "Good luck with that one."

"I know you're bitter," Mako sighed softly. "I can't blame you for that, or for feeling that way about the Fire Nation. And I won't defend the warden or Rho. But I'm loyal to my people and my nation, and not the bullies who live in it. My father loved his country enough to give his life for it. My- Our friends... On Ji, Hide, they didn't become soldiers so that the Fire Nation could put innocent people like your family into prison. No. They did so to fight for their loved ones, and because they love their nation."

"I just want you to understand where I'm coming from with this." Mako said softly, knowing he was treading on dangerous ground.

Korra closed her eyes as if lost in thought. "I know Mako, I don't consider you like the warden or Rho for that matter. But I don't know if I can think of that way, not after everything that's happened."

She closed her eyes, clutching her arms tightly. "Not after everything I've been through."

"I know," Mako nodded in sympathy. "So we'll just have to show you one step at a time then." Mako smiled. "For now, you should focus more on your match tomorrow with Asami. She's a powerful ally. Get her on your side, and she'll open so many doors for you. Believe me."

"Thanks Mako." Korra nodded, feeling more at ease now. She found that she was starting to enjoy Mako's company more often now.

"Don't mention it." He smirked. "Just do me a favour."

"What?" Korra asked curiously.

"Wipe that arrogant smirk off of Asami's face for me tomorrow." Mako gave a sly grin.

* * *

**Thanks everyone for the reviews/faves/reads! :) Next chapter look forward to seeing lots of action, on both sides!  
**


	14. Friends and Allies

**Chapter 14: Friends and Allies  
**

* * *

The smoke stacks of Omashu puffed ash and soot as the Earth engineers worked overtime to produce the engines of war for the Southern Earth Kingdom. It was late in the day, and the sun was already setting down, bathing the steel architecture of the city in a vibrant blood red light. While the Green armored guards of the city kept watch above on the draw bridges and the turrets was the city moat, a gigantic trench that circled the mountain city and protected it from outside invaders, failing only once in the last war against an ingenious assault by the Mechanist's creations.

Yet three figures braved the defenses of the moat, waiting until the sun was over the horizon before attempting the descent.

Noatak and Tarrlok led the way, conjuring a small platform of ice that slid down the mountainside quietly to the city's underbelly.

"So...mind telling me exactly what we're doing here? and what are you looking for?" Noatak asked the Kyoshi Warrior beside him. Niska didn't reply initially, her eyes were intensely focused on the base of the trench, trying to peer at something in the far off darkness.

Noatak couldn't help but smirk, she was still the same even after all those years he had been away from home, serious and authoritative, just like her father.

He never knew much of Niska's past, only that she had been among the refugees that came north with Councilman Sokka after the war had been lost. Though not his daughter by blood, as one of the last survivors of Kyoshi Island, he had adopted her into his family, training her in the arts of the sword and the Kyoshi ways. Niska never thought of Sokka as anything other than her father, having been too young to even remember what her parents even looked like when Sokka rescued her from the flames. She was so grateful, that she dedicated her life to carrying on the legacy that her people had left behind, and the one that Sokka had risked his own life to protect. Although not a bender, she was as skilled with a sword or spear as any, and throughout the Northern Water Tribes, she was simply known as the last Kyoshi Warrior.

"Finding a way in." Niska said seriously, still scanning ahead even as the ice platform glided to a stop at the base of the trench. "There!" she pointed ahead, to a nearby metal grate that looked like it had been welded back into place long ago.

"Wow!" Tarrlok exclaimed, "How did you know this was here?"

"Let's just say we're not the first one's to use this." Niska replied rather proudly, then she quickly jumped onto the concrete floor, gesturing at the brothers to follow. "I'll need your waterbending to break this grate apart, then we'll sneak in."

"Alright," Noatak jumped down, along with Tarrlok, "But first, tell us what we're doing sneaking into an Earth Kingdom city. Aren't we on the same side?"

"Not exactly." Niska replied gruffly. "You ever heard of High General Giam?"

Noatak and Tarrlok thought back briefly to the conversation they had with Captain Lee, and both brothers nodded. "Yes, he commands the remnants of the Earth Kingdom Army against the Fire Nation."

"That's only half the truth." Niska said bitterly. "His men probably glaze over the fact that the High General is also a warlord of the worst sort. He gives surrounding resistance groups a choice: join him, or be destroyed. Countless villages have already been burnt to the ground by his men. And he's already attacked several of our caravans, kidnapping our people to use as bargaining chips to join his side."

Both brothers looked at each other in disbelief, as though it was insane to think that an Earth Kingdom army could do such a thing to its own people.

"High General Giam may claim to be fighting for the Earth Kingdom, but he's only interested in his own power, nothing else, and he would destroy anyone in his way to get what he wants, even his own people. He's no better than the Phoenix Lord." Niska said.

It disturbed him that someone like Lee would take part in anything like this, but he doubted it. If Giam was as good at fooling the people of Omashu, it was a fair bet that he probably kept it under wraps from his soldiers as well. But he was not surprised by the fact that the Earth Kingdom General had been driven to such lengths in his vendetta against the Fire Nation, after all he had known firsthand from his own father the kinds of things revenge can cause a person to do.

"Okay, then what's the plan?" Noatak whispered.

"Break in, get the hostages, then escape." Niska smirked conspiratorially.

"Really?" Tarrlok interjected, "I guess breaking into a heavily fortified city must be easy for you."

"Of course." The Kyoshi warrior replied nonchalantly, "But it's especially easier now that I have two Wolf Tails with me as well."

"Do we know where they are being held?" Noatak asked seriously.

Niska nodded. "The guards lock all the high profile prisoners in the old King's chambers. It connects via an underground arena, that should be where our target is."

"Alright then, let's go." Noatak said as he led the way.

The trio followed the sewer system, with both the brothers bending the water and sewage out of the way while Niska directed them deeper into the underbelly of the city. It didn't take long before they emerged through a manhole cover, lifting it to reveal a cold stone corridor, lined with torches and banners of the Earth Kingdom. Noatak snuck a peek above the opening, and quickly ducked back down as a platoon of heavily armored Earth Guards passed overhead.

Once the sounds and vibrations of the marching troops passed, the three warriors quickly surfaced, carefully sliding the stone cover back in place before proceeding on deeper into the prison.

Eventually they stumbled onto a balcony overlooking the detention area.

Niska's information was mostly correct, there was an arena deep within the maze of corridors and pits, but it had been expanded into a holding area. Where there had once been an arena, the entire area had been paved down and expanded into another chamber, where the walls glittered a jade green. Long metal walls divided the area into cells, each large enough to house at least dozens of people, with bars to herd the prisoners in. In every corner, there was a heavily armed soldier with dark green helmets and shoulder plates.

Within the cells, Noatak and Tarrlok could see what must have been hundreds of people huddled together in ragged clothes, men, women, children of all ages and sizes, but with one common feature, the red clothing that was distinctly Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom prisoners, in their green rags, were separated from the Fire nation prisoners, who seemed to have the worst of it, with the guards not so gently pushing them into the holding cells and shackling them against the walls.

"This...this is horrible." Tarrlok said softly as he watched the prisoners being herded amongst the holding area.

Noatak bit his lip as he observed the scene, torn between his disgust at seeing the prisoners being treated like common cattle and his own hatred of the Fire Nation. Tarrlok was too young to remember what had happened to their father...and their mother.

"Nothing we can do for them now." Niska said briefly, focusing instead on a very specific prison cell.

"I see our target, it seems they have her inside the maximum security cell." Niska pointed to one of the isolated chambers, sitting at what used to be an isolated cavern.

The prison cell was a large steel cage hanging suspended from the ceiling of the cavern, where sharp stalagmites covered the floor. What made this part of the chamber distinctive was the rush of an underground waterfall, which poured from the ceiling above, surrounding the suspended cell in a deadly veil of water that would have sent any foolish climber straight into the sharp rocky spikes below.

"They don't have as much guards on that cell." Noatak noted, seeing only a pair of earth guards standing at the walkway leading up to the waterfall.

"They don't need to." The Kyoshi warrior replied sternly. "The water does most of the guarding for them, which is why I need you both here. You can bend a waterfall right?"

"I'm not sure," Noatak replied, "But with the both of us, it shouldn't be an issue." He said confidently.

"Good," Niska nodded, "I'll go into position, keep the guards distracted for you. Once you get the prisoner, rendezvous back here."

Without another word, Niska fearlessly jumped off the ledge, and into the prison holding area below.

"Let's go." Noatak said briskly.

"Lead the way brother." Tarrlok gulped down his nervousness, eager to redeem himself from his failures at the South Pole. This would be the first time he had ever fought by his brother's side as part of a Wolf Tail mission. He would not fail!

As the duo landed, the brothers quickly slipped past another patrol of guards, making their way to the foot of the waterfall where the two Earth guards stood.

"How do we get past them?" Tarrlok whispered.

"At least, without sounding off the alarm." Noatak thought out loud, it wouldn't do to alert the entire garrison just yet. He was so deep in thought, that he didn't notice one of the guards approaching them, spotting the wolf tail hair cut that sprouted above the crates they were hiding behind.

"Halt!" The guard shouted, lifting up his spear and causing the brothers to tense up. "Who goes there?"

"Crap! What do we do Noata..." Tarrlok blurted out nervously, but suddenly found his brother's strong grip around his shoulders as they both emerged from the wooden crates.

The second guard, seeing the new interlopers, quickly joined his partner and the pair stared down at the water tribe brothers.

"This area is strictly off limits. You better have a good excuse for being here, or you'll be joining the prisoners." The guard said gruffly.

"Sorry! My brother and I, we are just visitors from outside the city, we just got lost finding our way around town." Noatak feigned an innocence that was worthy of his younger brother. "Maybe you can help us find a way out?"

The guard narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "You think I'm an idiot? There's no way a civilian can just stumble his way in here."

"Then ask Captain Lee." Noatak replied just as confidently, biting his lips. _Sorry Lee, I hope you can forgive me_. "He saved us on the road, and showed us here."

"Lee huh?" the guard said suspiciously.

The other guard, obviously bored out of his mind guarding this dungeon, shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me, the Captain has been taking every refugee off the road recently. It's not like we have any water tribe prisoners either."

"Alright, I'll get the captain, you stay put until I confirm this. You've seen sensitive parts of our base, so the General may have to decide your fate." The guard grunted as he picked up his weapon and walked away, annoyed at the little detail.

As the first guard vanished, Noatak and Tarrlok were left alone with the second guard, and that gave Noatak an idea. He looked at Tarrlok and nodded at him conspiratorially.

"So..." Tarrlok began nonchalantly. "Not to be a bother, but can we wait closer to those torches over there?" He pointed to the torches lining the base of the waterfall. "It's kind of chilly in here, and my brother is starting to catch a cold."

The guardsman watched suspiciously as Noatak began rubbing his nose, smiling almost.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You're water tribesmen, aren't you used to the cold?"

"I dunno..." Noatak staggered closer towards the guard, holding a finger to his nose. "It must be the cave...you know, all wet and dank...because I think I'm gonna.. snee...sneee."

"What are you doing?" The guard back away in annoyance as Noatak edged closer.

"Snee-AHH cheW!"

The guard almost screamed in shock as a wave of water slammed into his face, instantly freezing his face into a mask of disgust and surprise. The guard was so preoccupied by Noatak's 'sneeze', he didn't notice the water that Noatak had bent from the flask at his side, around his body and through his sleeve. Tarrlok finished the guard off, conjuring a water whip from the nearby basin of the waterfall to envelop the man's body, encasing the rest of him in solid ice.

"That. Was awesome." Tarrlok laughed, something he hadn't done for a while.

Noatak smirked, remembering the tricks his brother used to play on him back in good old days, when he first learned he was a water bender. To think that it would come in handy now.

"Alright, let's go!" Noatak exclaimed, and nodding quickly, Tarrlok followed his brother up the path to the waterfall. With two swift arcing motions of their arms, they quickly froze a window in the raging falls, and jumped through it just as the ice cracked under the waterfall's immense pressure.

Inside, they saw the hostage they were to rescue, and to both the brothers, it was a surprise. They expected some high ranking general, or at least a group of resistance fighters.

Instead, the cell only contained a little girl, who looked like she was barely five years old.

The girl turned to see the two water tribe boys, and the initial shock on her face was replaced by an impatient displeasure, as if she had been waiting ages for them to show up. She was a thin little thing, with dark hair and jade green eyes, but to Noatak, she carried herself rather well for a kid locked away in a solitary cell like this.

"Are you here to take me home?" The little girl asked softly.

"Sorry...but who are you?"

"Mommy says I shouldn't tell my name to strangers." She said , "but everyone around here knows me anyway...if tell you, will you save me?"

"Okay...I guess?" Tarrlok said, rather confused.

"I'm Lin... Lin Bei Fong..." The little girl replied quietly, then suddenly pouted impatiently, crossing her arms. "Now can you lily livers get me out of here already!?"

* * *

**Sentinel Island**

Torches flickered in the darkness as both the Sentinels and Southern Raiders lined up professionally around the fighting square, all eyes on the two warriors who knelt with their backs to each other. This was a rare duel indeed, the famous Sato of the Black Blade was testing her skills against the Firebending water tribe prodigy from the South Pole. And although none of the surrounding soldiers broke disciplined, they were all each eager to see how this match would go, with several already placing bets on the side.

Mako himself was sweating bullets as he watched Asami stand up in her full black armored kimono, her visage hidden behind the faceplate mask Azula's elite guard. Korra herself, in her crimson light armor, stood just as confidently, picking up her _jian _as she turned to face her opponent.

Both opponents had asked for the blessings of Agni, now, the duel would begin.

"Having second thoughts?" Asami said with a cocky smirk, all too eager to get the psychological edge.

Korra grinned confidently, bringing the sword up to guard. "Not a chance."

"We'll see!" Asami smiled, then with great speed she closed the distance between her and Korra, sword extended.

The move took Korra by surprise - the blow was aimed to take her head off - and she parried the blow with her jian and twisted to the side. Asami's black blade narrowly missed, cutting along the rim of Korra's helmet with a few sickening sparks, and taking a few strands of hair with her.

"I thought this was a spar!" Korra blurted out in surprise.

"A spar with a sentinel is a dangerous thing." Asami said cooly. "But don't worry, I would have stopped it if I had known you weren't good enough to block it.

Was she bluffing? Or simply patronizing her? either way, it pissed Korra off.

Korra retaliated, rushing forward and sending a wheel of flame in Asami's direction, but the Sentinel was quick despite the heavy armor she wore. She dodged simply weaving her head back, without even bothering to bring up her guard or move her body. That just annoyed Korra even more, and she sent two more bursts of flame at the Sentinel, and this time, Asami sidestepped out of the way, while closing the distance between her and Korra.

The audacity of the move was not lost on Korra, and she grunted as she charged the jian up with her firebending, the metal of the blade glowing red as it connected with Asami's black sword. The Sentinel smirked, but quickly widened her eyes in surprise as the firebending of the sword wrapped around her own blade, causing her to back away from the parry.

Sensing the opening, Korra spun forward, delivering a flaming drop kick towards the Sentinel. Asami however, was ready for the attack, and she blocked the kick with her arms, using her own foot to kick Korra's other leg out from under her and causing the water tribe girl to fall hard on her back.

Mako, On Ji and Hide winced slightly as they heard the hard slap of Korra's body on the stone ground.

Asami didn't let up the attack, and she lifted her foot to stomp Korra's face into the ground, but she quickly rolled out of the way and got to her feet. Korra's foot then lashed out at Asami with a fire blast, connecting at her opponent, and Asami grunted as scorch marks burnt on her upper leg armor and her shoulder plate, but she had her opponent right where she wanted her.

Asami's hand quickly grasped Korra's ankle as her leg was extended upward from the kick, and with quick precision, she flipped Korra around, executing a series of precision light strikes along the length of Korra's left arm.

Korra grunted in pain as she backed away, swaying a bit on her feet as she gasped for air. She tried to lift her left arm up and firebend with it, but it seemed as though all the energy had been sucked from her muscles there, it dangled uselessly by her side.

"Chi Blocking." Asami explained nonchalantly. "Let's see how you do without your precious firebending."

Korra, true to form, went with a more aggressive approach. She rushed straight towards the Sentinel - to Asami's surprise - with a sword thrust, narrowly grazing the side of her armor as she darted to the side.

"Go Korra!" On Ji shouted despite herself, eager to cheer her friend on as she pushed the Sentinel to closer to the corner of the ring with another sweeping kick followed by a jump kick, each movement producing a bright cartwheel of flame.

Deciding she had enough, Asami parried Korra's sword thrust, and just as the water tribe girl was about to launch another attack, she grabbed Korra's sword arm, pulling her forward to throw her off balance, and landed another series of chi blocking punches to her leg. Korra grunted as she went down, her right leg failing her as her pressure points became blocked.

Seeing her opponent was down, Asami walked up to the prostrate Korra, sword held for the killing. "You've fought well Korra, much longer than anyone else. Now yield. Or I will put this to an end."

Korra gritted her teeth as she lay in the sand. Her arm and leg useless and dead. At this moment, the old scar wounds on her back were lighting up again, and a swath of pain ran down her body like no tomorrow.

_No. Never again!_

The weakness and pain was prying at the very core of her body and soul, begging for her to give up and relieve the torment, but she blinked back her tears. There was no turning back: losing here would mean the end of her journey towards securing Asami's help, finding the prisoners, and rescuing her family.

Life once again, was throwing an obstacle in her path, and this obstacle in particular was the armored warrior standing confidently before her. She would get past this, she had to!

"No..." Korra almost snarled the word, which took Asami by surprise, "you...won't!"

To the surprise of Asami, and everyone in the square, Korra's free sword arm swung feriously at the Sentinel, flames sparked and a cloud of dust quickly erupted from the parade ground as the Sentinel soon found herself flying back a good fifteen feet in the air, landing unceremoniously in an armored heap at the edge of the practice ring, narrowlying avoiding the platoon of Southern Raiders who stood at the edge of the square.

Pulling herself up, she saw as Korra - amazingly - managed to stumbled onto her feet. The poor girl was obviously wounded, and she was gasping heavily even as she held the sword weakly in her hand. Her back, Asami noted, was already bleeding, most likely the old whip wounds that she carried with her.

Satisfied, Asami smiled, and sheathed her sword.

"Well done Private Korra. You're the first one to have fought a Sentinel to a draw." Asami said grudgingly.

Even in pain, Korra still managed a smile. "I guess that means you're coming with us then huh?"

Asami chuckled. Normally even the most senior of Fire Army officers viewed the Sentinels with awe and fear, and rightfully so, but this water tribe girl had the audacity to address her as an equal. Even more unbelievable, she had the skill to back it up! Maybe Mako wasn't far off when he suggested Korra could become a potential recruit. In any case, life on Sentinel Island had never been interesting, perhaps this little excursion was what she needed as well.

"Yes, a Sentinel always keeps her word.' Asami said grudgingly, "I've never seen any kind of fire bending like that before. There must be more to you than I thought."

"I trained with the best." Korra gestured towards Mako.

"Heh, somehow I doubt it thanks to that guy, but consider me intrigued." Asami replied, "I will meet you at your ship tomorrow morning. It just so happens I do have information on your prisoners. We should have them captured in no time."

At last, Korra relaxed, a mixture of relief and joy on her face. She quickly, and respectfully, raised her Jian in a salute, and bowed her head. "Thanks Asami."

"Don't mention it. It's about time I worked off the rust anyways." she smiled.

Excited, Korra quickly turned around to deliver the good news to her friends in the Southern Raiders, while Asami took off her war mask and went back to her quarters.

There was something special about that girl alright, and she was still wondering how that last fight had ended. For some reason, Asami thought, she felt herself pushed back even before the flames from Korra's last attack had touched her, but surely that must have been her imagination? It must have been the flames, or at least the intensity of the flame on the air. It must have been some firebending trick.

Otherwise...How else was she thrown so far back?

Asami sighed, it was not becoming of a Sentinel to make excuses. For her next opponent, she would be better prepared.

* * *

**Thanks everyone for the reviews/faves/reads! :) Next chapter we'll see some more of the Fire nation royalty XD  
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**To those i can't respond to via PM  
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Cindz Cindz - HAHA I actually don't believe Mako is that bad at relationships, despite what the show tells us, he's just confused! XD Thanks for the review, glad you liked it!


	15. Heir to the World

**Chapter 15: Heir to the World **

* * *

Dawn had risen on this new day and a light summer breeze caressed the lush forests of the mountain ridge. Save for a few clouds above, the sky was clear. The land itself was empty and devoid of life as two men rode at the head of a small column of a hundred Yuyan Archers: elite marksmen who were feared and renowned for their skills from battlefields across the world.

The Fire Nation troops could have been alone for a thousand miles, with only the angry low growls of their fearsome Komodo Rhino mounts breaking the silence. But the soldiers knew it was far from the truth. These mountains were home to an ancient civilization, one that had dared defy the Fire Nation, and now, must be crushed.

General Ruon-Jian, smiled at the thought; with the fall of the Earth Kingdom and the scattering of the Water Tribes, there were very few worthy opponents left with whom he could test his armies against. And to him, the greatest fear as a soldier was not defeat (that was unthinkable!), but merely running out of enemies to conquer and stomp into ashes, for what else was a soldier's purpose?

As the top General to Phoenix Lord Azula, he had only lost one minor battle to the Water Tribes at the Boiling Rock, but he and his friend Admiral Chan had made the Fire Nation's enemies pay dearly for the defeat, destroying the last bastions of resistance on Kyoshi Island as well as invading the Northern Water Tribe Capital.

To the General's right side rode Prince Zhenjin, the eldest son and heir of Phoenix Lord Azula. He was a young well-built man, only seventeen years old, who might one day lead the nation and most likely command him during times of war. The prince, like many of the elite Fire Nation army, wore the gold trimmed crimson armor of a cavalry officer, while his status was denoted by the top knot and three pointed crown that was reserved for Fire Nation royalty.

It had been weeks since they had set off from the barracks at the Fire Nation capital, without pause or rest, and Ruon-jian watched with quiet approval at how well the young prince carried himself; enduring the hardship with a regal authority that seemed to come so naturally to those of Azula's lineage.

The young prince had indeed come far in his training. For years, ever since Zhenjin was but a child, Ruon-Jian had been instructed by Azula to push her son to become a warrior incarnate, to show him the skills as well as the ruthlessness required of a great military leader and ruler. After all, war was not forgiving, and it was never too early to show a young man these lessons. To be royal in the Fire Nation, one had to be both hard and unforgiving, an example set all too well by Phoenix Lord Azula herself, who had subdued an entire kingdom almost singlehandedly when she was only just a youth.

Zhenjin sensed Ruon-Jian's scrutinizing stare over him, and found himself tensing up slightly. Growing up in the isolation of the Royal Family, he never really had a chance to meet his father before he passed on (in his mother's own words) and in a strange way, he had come to view Ruon-Jian as a mentor and a father figure of sorts. But even so, there was still a barrier between them that made it difficult to trust the general fully, even if his respect for him knew no bounds.

As Azula's right hand man, Ruon-Jian carried out the orders of Phoenix Lord with deadly efficiency, and he had a great gift for tactics and strategy to accompany that ruthlessness. Zhenjin had heard the stories growing up in his childhood, how Ruon-Jian had single-handedly crushed the final resistance of the Gan Jin and Zhang tribes in the Earth Kingdom, as well as engineer the great and final victory over the Northern Water Tribes with his best friend, Grand Admiral Chan. They were feats and victories that amazed Zhenjin, and he considered it a genuine privilege to be a pupil of such a great military hero. The men as well, worshipped Ruon-Jian like a father figure, for he had always won, despite the odds.

And they would do so again, in this valley.

"Zhenjin," Ruon-Jian said suddenly, in the usual stern tone of a teacher to a pupil. "What is the most important weapon in your arsenal?"

The young prince sighed, having been asked this question at least a thousand times since he had fought under the general, and Ruon-Jian hid a smirk, he enjoyed testing his young protege.

"Rations, General." Zhenjin answered without hesitation.

"Not your firebending?" The General replied. "Or even your sword and spear?"

"Without rations, I would not have the strength to firebend or to even hold a sword. An army without supplies would be too weak to fight. And a starving army is worse than no army." Zhenjin said the answer without even pausing to think, the words coming naturally to him.

Ruon-Jian allowed himself a grin as he heard his own words repeated back to him. He had drilled the young man mercilessly under his tutelage, and it showed in the boy's words and movements.

"What is the weakness of our current location?"

That took Zhenjin by surprise. "I-"

"Quickly now!" Ruon-Jian exclaimed. "Your men look to you for direction at all times, their lives hang on your very word."

Zhenjin gulped at being put on the spot so suddenly, but he had a good teacher in Ruon-Jian, "The sun is at our backs, making our approach on the ridge visible to any enemy in the valley, and the trees make it difficult for us to bring down our tanks and heavy artillery."

Ruon-jian nodded with a smirk. "Excellent my Prince, you are learning well."

It was an astute observation, and Zhenjin did feel the sun on his back as the hundred riders reached the crest of the ridge, looking down on the valley below, where the ruins of an ancient metropolis lay, now covered in vines and shrubs. By now, the morning sun had risen higher into the sky, bathing the stone city in a brilliant display.

From his studies, Zhenjin recognized the ruins as the bastion of civilization who had ruled the land before the founding of the Fire Nation. Many had once thought the tribes died off, but they were very much alive as their warriors scrambled into formation in the valley below.

They were primitive warriors at best, who had decorated their bodies with warpaint, and wearing only loincloths and sparse armor. It was a motley collection of individuals, and it was almost ridiculous how outgunned they were compared to the modern weaponry of the Fire Nation army, but Ruon-Jian didn't take them lightly.

"The Sun Warriors." Ruon-Jian regarded the assembled tribesman like a wolf on a flock of sheep. "The precursors to our glorious nation, it is a pity they decided to resist us."

Zhenjin nodded solemnly as he watched the assembled warriors within the city. In recent years, the victories of the hundred years war had accelerated the growth of the Fire Nation cities, and the country soon found itself claiming more and more land to settle its ever growing population, and to build more cities and fortresses in the name of Phoenix Lord Azula. It was during one of these construction projects where the Fire Nation had run into these Sun Warriors, and now, they would pay the price for defying Azula's will.

"I have another question for you Zhenjin." Ruon-Jian said wryly, even as he nodded to the captain of the Yuyan guards to get his men ready.

"As always Ruon-Jian." The youth smiled.

"Those primitive warriors below are no concern to us in the long run. In fact, I could have called my entire army, along with the Airship armada to rain death onto these tribesman. Instead, I only bring my elite guard, the Crimson Lances. Why do you think I'm even giving them a chance to fight?"

Zhenjin thought it was odd indeed, Ruon-Jian had not ordered any of the valuable airships to rain fire onto the enemy, nor had he mobilized his armored columns. Instead, all he took with him to this valley was a division of Komodo Rhino cavalry, backed by an elite force of Yuyan archers.

"I'm not sure..." Zhenjin replied, at a loss for once.

"For you, Zhenjin." Ruon-Jian said with a simple smile. "When you return to your mother, you will have fought in every position, every terrain and every season, and in each rank of the army. You will have been tried and battle tested. More than that, you will come back to her as a victor. She will not be able to see any weakness in you. And she would be proud of you for it."

Zhenjin nodded quietly in contemplation. With his mother, who was obsessed with how she was perceived and feared by others, that was probably the closest thing she had of showing affection to her only son.

"My lesson is at an end here my Prince." The General said seriously with a nod. "I leave this battle, and my elite guard, to you. Do what you were born to do. Command. And win." He saluted the prince formally, and without another word, General Ruon Jian fell back, and Zhenjin found himself alone at the head of the column.

The Yuyan Archers, as well as the various Crimson Lance Komodo Dragon Cavalry, watched him quietly with judging eyes, and Zhenjin knew he couldn't afford to show hesitation.

He raised his fist in the air, determination etched in his face.

"Begin the attack."

As if on cue, the ground shook with thunder as the first squadrons of Komodo Rhino Cavalry launched themselves into the ruined city where the Sun Warriors gathered. It was noon, and the sun was high in the sky, lighting the field which would soon become a swirling mass of death. The Fire Nation trumpets sounded, calling the cavalry into the charge, while the Sun Warriors braced themselves for the devastating attack, raising their spears and shields.

The warriors fired one hasty volley of flame, then turned and fled before the irresistible mass of the charge. They stood no chance and the first screams filled the air as lances fell onto unprotected backs. More Sun Warriors emerged from the ruins, the fire benders shooting bursts of flame at the Komodo Rhinos, driving a few back as they became burnt by the fire, throwing their armored riders off their horses. The brave ones however, were soon cut down by well placed arrows from the Yuyan archers.

Despite the bravery of the Sun Warriors, they were no match for the modern armor and equipment of the Fire Nation. It did not take long before more Fire Nation soldiers approached in squadrons, flowing into the streets of the ruined city and sweeping the warriors away.

* * *

Ruon-Jian watched with silent approval as Zhenjin reported back to him with news of the victory. Behind the young prince, the ancient city of the Sun Warriors was burning, with pyres of smoke stretching into the sky across dozens of sites.

"Well done my Prince." The General bowed his head slightly to the younger man, who returned it with a salute.

"I was taught by the best General."

Ruon-Jian smiled at the comment, but hardened his features as he watched a Sun Warrior escort approaching his position under a flag of truce. For a second, he was tempted to have his men fire upon them, but he decided to humor them for the moment.

The Sun Warrior was a thin, frail looking man with flimsy armor and a decorated headdress.

"My name is Ham Ghao." The Sun Warrior said with a hostile gaze. "My chief wishes to inform you that this struggle is only between your warriors and ours. The ordinary people of our tribe are harmless bystanders, and should be treated as such by both sides. He has sent me to ask you to offer them safe passage out of the valley."

Ruon-Jian resisted the urge to scoff at such an offer, and he saw through it for what it was, a sign that the Sun Warrior's were running low on time and supplies.

"Is there any difference between the warrior, and the villager who forges his weapon? or grows his food?" Ruon-Jian replied. "Why should I stop this attack when I am on the verge of victory?"

To his credit, Ham Ghao managed to keep his temper under control. "If what you say is true," He grumbled. "and that your ultimate victory is assured, then my people will become your subjects, and they will admire and respect you for your mercy."

Ruon-Jian gave an amused grin. "Really now..." He turned to Zhenjin. "Tell me my Prince. What quality is better for a ruler? respect? or fear?"

Zhenjin nodded, knowing the answer off by heart.

"I would press the attack. And destroy them all."

The Fire Nation general nodded. "As would I. Guards!" He shouted at the Yuyan archers around them. "Seize them!"

"Wait!" Ham Ghao almost pleaded as the Fire Nation troops began closing in on him.

"You really aren't in a position to bargain, tribal." Ruon-Jian said slyly, "However, I am willing to be merciful. You and your warriors lay down your arms, and I will spare them. In addition, you will reveal to me the secret of your people." The General's eyes lit up with a dark relish as he laid out his terms.

Ham Ghao recoiled at the last suggestion. "You can't be serious."

"Oh but I am." Ruon-Jian sneered. "You have ten minutes, if I don't see you back here with an answer, then this city will be your peoples' funeral pyre."

* * *

With the threat of annihilation weighing upon them, it didn't take long before the remaining Sun Warriors surrendered, with their families being used as hostages as the Fire Nation troops ransacked the city. The old Sun Warrior civilization was primitive for sure, but they were wealthy with their golden ornaments and statues. Chests were ransacked, and ancient storage rooms and temples for blasted open for their treasures within. Ruon-Jian personally ordered some of his private escort to take into his possession the legendary Sunstone, which was rumored to be made of solid gold.

Zhenjin watched with calm detachment as he and the General climbed the steps of the temple, which gave a clear view of the mountain passes beyond.

"There is the location of our target." Ruon-Jian said as he pointed to the rocky valley between the mountains.

"The great secret of the Sun Warriors?" Zhenjin asked pointedly.

"Indeed, and a test that you must pass if you are to assume command of the nation." The General said tersely, just as the pair had ascended the top of the temple. An ancient ceremonial flame burned bright, and Zhenjin marvelled at the size of the fire, along with the intensity of the heat that seemed to have a life of its own.

Ruon-Jian however, merely scoffed at the display.

"This is the Eternal Fire, a gift that is said to have been passed to man from the first dragons." The General explained.

"It is something else General." Zhenjin said admiringly.

"It is childish folklore, nothing more." The General shook his head. "Fire is ours by birthright, not the dragons. Such a display is meaningless to me." And as an added gesture, Ruon Jian sent a full fire blast to destroy the rock columns around the sacred flame, burying it underneath a cloud of rubble and dust.

"Come my Prince, we have one last test for you, then you can truly call yourself a general of the empire."

* * *

With the battle behind them, and the Sun warriors subdued, Ruon-Jian and Zhenjin set out from the great city with an elite guard of Yuyan archers. The sun was setting in the horizon, turning the sky orange. It took a few hours of marching before they arrived at their destination, a gigantic stairway that led to a stone pathway built between two mountain caves. Zhenjin recoiled slightly as he looked up at one of the caves, where smoke was emitting from it, along with a low growl of a fiery beast.

"Is that...a dragon? I thought they were extinct?" Zhenjin asked.

"We thought so too." Ruon-jian said. "But it seems your Grand-uncle missed a few."

The general placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"This is your test Zhenjin, one that your mother asked me to prepare you for since you came under my tutelage." Ruon-Jian explained as he led the prince to the foot of the stairway. "You will slay your first dragon."

"You can't be serious." Zhenjin mumbled.

"I am." The general replied tersely. "I can't say that you don't have to go. You do, the Phoenix lord wills it. You cannot show fear, no matter what happens. If you die tonight, die facing front, for your mother's honor."

Zhenjin hardened his gaze on the general as he spoke those words. "Yes, everything is a test for my mother isn't it?"

"There can be no other way." Ruon-jian explained. "To be a worthy heir to the throne, to be the heir to the world itself, you must show you have what it takes. Azula conquered a kingdom when she was a child. Now, you will conquer a the greatest beast in the world, one that strikes fear into the heart of any firebender."

"You're not making me feel any better General."

Ruon-Jian smirked "Then I will say this. Kill the dragon, and your name will be revered and worshipped in the annuls of the nation forever, and you will be a living legend to everyone around you. Is that better?"

"Much better." Zhenjin grinned, although deep down he was fighting the urge to just flee right there. Taking a deep breath, the young man composed himself, and slowly ascended the steps towards this final test.

Towards his destiny.

* * *

The Yuyan archers took up positions on the side of the cliffs as a precaution, ready to assist Zhenjin should he still need help, but the prince showed little fear as he made it to the top of the steps, his face a cold emotionless mask as he knelt down briefly to offer a prayer to Agni. This however, would be far more deadlier than any Agni Kai he had fought in. He gripped his fists tightly, willing his hands to stop shaking as he faced the creature in the cave.

The low growl from the cave soon became a roar, and a blast of wind exploded from the cave as the creature took flight. It was so fast, that all Zhenjin saw was a blur, and the prince dodged to the side, escaping the jaws of the creature as it snapped shut at the spot where he had stood seconds ago. The dragon was huge, at least the length of several dozen men, with a large jaw that could swallow a Komodo Rhino whole, yet, it also moved with a certain grace and majesty, flowing through the air like water.

Regaining his composure, Zhenjin took a deep breath and assumed an aggressive stance, coming face to face with the creature as it settled in the sky above him, it's crimson scales filling the sky, while its golden eyes glared menacingly at the prince.

Zhenjin's eyes met the beast's and he murmured an acknowledgment.

"You are fast and powerful. But I am as well, if I kill you, I will wear your scales with pride."

The dragon roared, and a stream of flame engulfed the prince, but Zhenjin threw up his own fire barrier, diverting the brunt of the blast away as he slid back several feet, his armor smoking from the intensity of the Dragon's blast.

At that moment, Zhenjin waved his arms in a circular motion, generating blue sparks of electricity as he focused his inner Chi through his arm, and with deadly precision, he sent a bolt of lightning towards the red dragon.

The bolt seared the scales, leaving a smoking scar that sent the beast recoiling to the side of the mountain, sending tonnes of dust and soot falling onto the platform, which forced Zhenjin to dive to the side.

The Dragon screeched in pain as he dug into the side of the mountain, but quickly recovered and twisted into the sky once more, before diving straight down towards the prince. The creature was old, Zhenjin noted, and probably would not have much more behind it's initial attack. In any case, this was the perfect time to show his new firebending technique.

Zhenjin took a deep breath, gathering the Chi into his stomach as he grounded his stance. The creature was diving furiously towards him, but he showed no fear, no emotion, even as the sheer force of the dragon's dive threw up clouds of dust and soot around him. He had his target, and he would destroy him.

Just as the dragon opened its mouth to incinerate him, Zhenjin struck.

Focusing his firebending on his arm, he stabbed his hand towards the dragon, and in that instant, a stream of super-condensed air shot straight at the monster like an invisible spear, just as the creature opened its mouth to attack.

In that split second, the world shook as Zhenjin's combustion attack exploded in front of the dragon, consuming the creature in a ball of flame. A huge blinding white flash appeared over the battlefield, followed by a monstrous roar as the earth split open from the huge explosion. Trees were torn violently from their roots, flying into the maelstrom of forces, while every blade of grass exploded into flame around her.

The explosion tore the wing off the creature, and it gave ascreech as it fell down to the ground, crushing against the remains of the mountainside and knocking the rest of the rock formation as the mountain crumbled into a huge cloud of rubble and smoke. The creature gave its last dying gasp as it lay bloodied and wounded on the ground, the last sigh of a generation of dragons, now wiped off the face of the earth, like the civilization that worshipped them.

Zhenjin, his armor charred and smoking from the confrontation, looked at the fallen dragon with utter disbelief that his new technique had worked, but a proud Ruon-Jian emerged from the smoke to prop up the young man before he collapsed from sheer exhaustion and adrenaline.

"The Dragon has been slain." Ruon-Jian turned around to his troops. "Long Live Prince Zhenjin, The Crimson Dragon!"

As one, the Yuyan archers raised their fists in triumph. "Long Live Prince Zhenjin! Long Live Prince Zhenjin!"

"You have proven yourself my prince." Ruon-Jian patted the young man on the head. "Now, you are a worthy heir to the throne, and are now ready for the next task."

"Another task, as always General." Zhenjin grunted as he struggled to stand up from exerting so much after the last attack.

"This is a mission not just for yourself, but for the empire itself." The General said sternly. "One that may very well win us the war."

"I'm listening."

"I received a message from my friend Admiral Chan, passed to us by Phoenix Lord Azula several days ago." Ruon-Jian said seriously. "It seems the Blue Spirit has been sighted on the mainland. This could be the perfect time to finish your mother's work: To destroy the traitors, and conquer Omashu for the glory of the Empire."

"So...the Earth Kingdom it is then, to finish this once and for all?" The young man said.

"Indeed my prince." Ruon-Jian nodded.

"I look forward to it." Zhenjin replied with relish.

* * *

**Thanks everyone for the reviews/faves/reads! :) next will be the Wolf Tails and their escape from Omashu, while Korra and her Krew make landfall in the Earth Kingdom. **

**In the spirit of the crossover, this will be the last OC i'll introduce for a long while, possibly for the rest of the story. From now on, it'll be ATLA and LOK characters galore! **

**To those i can't respond to via PM **

**Guest1: **I actually think Asami can take Mako in a fight, if it's close combat. I know Mako got the upper edge on Amon, but that was a bender vs bender battle. We saw how Mako fared against a Chi Blocker one on one, and i would argue that he's not suited to that kind of unarmed combat, one that Asami would specialize in. Add into this AU the fact she can chi block, and he would be in big trouble. Noatak is not quite strong enough yet to bloodbend without the full moon, but i will explain more later. And no, not all the sentinels are female.

**Guest2:** Thanks! Glad you like this universe and the take on the characters. I hope the rest of this story can live up to that expectation :)


	16. Escape from Omashu

**Chapter 16 : Escape from Omashu  
**

* * *

Noatak and Tarrlok both stared dumbfounded at the little girl for a second, who was impatiently tapping her foot on the cell floor. She spoke the name with an authority that expected recognition, but in their short time with the Wolf Tails, neither had enough experience to recall anyone from the Earth Kingdom apart from coastal raids on Fire Nation outposts. Noatak himself knew that the Water Tribes kept some contact with the Earth Kingdom resistance, that must have been why the name sounded faintly familiar to him at least.

Lin, oblivious to the internal dilemma of the brothers, shouted impatiently. "Well, what are you two waiting for? Get me outta here!"

"Geez, someone's impatient." Tarrlok grumbled back, then scratched his head in realization as he assessed the situation. "One problem, we're waterbenders, what do you expect us to do with this steel cage?"

"I don't know, but do something!" Lin berated, clasping the bars in frustration.

Tarrlok gave a forlorn look towards his brother, and Noatak nodded firmly in response.

"Stand back brother. You too Lin."

Both Tarrlok and Lin backed up a few steps in response. Noatak closed his eyes and took a deep breath to regain his focus, almost feeling the rush of the raging waterfall around them. Some had thought Earth and steel were the most stubborn and powerful of elements, but they were wrong. Yakone had taught him that water was powerful in its very flexibility. In fact, that made it the most powerful element. One moment, it could be gentle like a soothing stream, and in the next, it could be as hard and unforgiving as a glacier.

It could wash away earth and put out fire.

It can even cut through iron.

With tremendous effort, Noatak outstretched his arms and exhaled, bringing his arms backed together he conjured two water whips from the waterfall around them and sent them straight at the steel bars. The action was done so fast that they sliced horizontally into Lin's cage, dropping the iron bars as easily as thin reeds in a swamp. Both Tarrlok and Lin gaped in awe at the scene in silent awe. For Tarrlok, he knew that his brother was a water bending prodigy, but now, he truly appreciated the extent of Noatak's skills.

"Noatak! Tarrlok!" A voice shouted at them from the other side of the waterfall. "I'm outside!"

"Let's get out of here." Noatak nodded towards Tarrlok, who had taken Lin's hand as he led her out of the cage. With a circular wave of their arms, they bent a thick arc of ice into the waterfall, creating a slight opening through which the trio ran through.

As they emerged on the other side, they were greeted by the slump forms of three Earth Kingdom guards, and a lone Kyoshi warrior standing over them, Katana in hand.

"Niska!" Lin beamed as she ran joyfully towards the Kyoshi warrior, wrapping her arms tightly around the armored girl.

"Lin! Thank the spirits you're alright!" Niska, equally relieved and happy, knelt down and patted the little girl on the head before embracing her just as firmly.

"Who are these guys Niska?" Lin asked as she pointed towards the brothers.

"My bodyguards." The Kyoshi warrior winked at the brothers nonchalantly, then smiled back at Lin. "We're going to bust you out of here."

"Wait, we're what now?!" Tarrlok exclaimed indignantly as he exchanged looks with Noatak, who watched with a detached calm.

"Wow, that's so awesome Niska!" Lin beamed. "I knew you would find me."

"Of course Lin, didn't I say so?" Chuckling softly, Niska sensed the gazes of the brothers and turned around to face them.

"I've done a few tours with the resistance in the Earth Kingdom while you guys were exploring the world with the Wolf Tails." Niska explained. "This meant working with some of the resistance leaders, and that's where I met Lin. She's been like a little sister to me since."

"Okay...that still doesn't explain why she's locked up in this place." Tarrlok pointed out.

"Like I said," Niska said flatly. "General Giam would stop at nothing to get what he wants. Lin's mother is a world renowned Metal Bender, and when she refused to join him, this was his response."

Noatak and Tarrlok almost couldn't believe what Niska just said. A metalbender? But then again,

The chamber shook suddenly, and more shouts emitted from the prison block of the underground cavern and Noatak could recognize the sounds of guards approaching in their heavy armor. There wasn't much time.

"No time to talk." Noatak said assertively. "Let's get out of here."

"Agreed." Niska said as she unsheathed her katana.

"Tarrlok and I will take point." Noatak said firmly, "Niska, look after Lin, we'll clear the path."

The Kyoshi Warrior nodded, standing beside Lin who clinged at her armor firmly. "Lin, I need you to be brave for me and follow us out, think you can do that?"

"Of course!" Lin replied bravely.

By now, the first of the Earth Guards were close enough for them to see, laden in their green lacquered armor - there must have been at least two dozen of them by Noatak's count - all armed with spears as they rushed towards their positions in the cavern.

"Stop them! In the name of High General Giam!" The lead spearman shouted as he charged, aiming to gut Noatak where he stood.

"Now!"

Noatak and Tarrlok countered, both brothers exchanging a quick nod before bending the waterfall behind them towards their assailants. In a split second, a wave of water swept the pathway up to Lin's cell completely clear of guards. Those that were still lying on the ground, soaked to the brim, were quickly encased in ice as the brothers ran past, with Lin and Niska following suit.

It was an odd experience for Noatak, who had never fought Earth Benders before. All his life, he had been trained on how to combat Fire Benders, but one advantage he managed to grasp from fighting them was that they were a lot slower than fighting Fire Benders. Their stances were rigid and stubborn, which added to their strength and power, but for a fast-paced escape, they weren't able to react fast enough to Tarrlok and Noatak's water bending.

Reaching into his pouch of water, Tarrlok conjured up a waterwhip which tripped an Earth Guard off his feet as he tried to stomp a stone block from the ground. The man tumbled into a nearby group of his comrades, entangling them and giving the group just enough time to slip past.

Nodding in approval, Noatak followed suit. Stepping to his side, he avoided an earth spike that was sent flying inches from his face, then sent a barrage of ice shards towards the Earth benders from another water pouch he carried. The Earth benders threw up a shield to protect themselves, but this gave them enough time to run past them.

"Almost there!" Niska shouted as she chopped a stone block in half that was aimed at her head. Lin coughed uncomfortably as the dust and soot rained on her, gripping Niska's arm for dear life.

Archers began manning the stations near the exit, sending a storm of arrows towards the escapees. Tarrlok visibly shook as an arrow hammered into the stone wall, mere inches from his head, while Noatak used the remnants of his water to form a protective ice barrier, with several more iron spikes digging into the ice shield.

"This way's blocked!" Noatak shouted above the sickening crunch of the arrows on the ice. "Where to now?"

To everyone's surprise, it was Lin who made the next move. Closing her eyes as if lost in thought, the little girl took a deep breath, raising her leg tight against her body, before stomping it hard onto the ground. The warriors felt a slight vibration as Lin did this, and she opened her eyes excitedly.

"I know a way out! Follow me!" Lin shouted as she bolted for one of the corner rooms of the cavern.

"Lin! Where are you going?" Niska ran right behind Lin, while Tarrlok and Noatak followed, snapping more arrows in half with their water whips and ice shards.

"Whatever she's doing, I hope it's something that works." Tarrlok grunted as he narrowly dodged another crossbow bolt that slammed into the stone floor.

More Earth Guards were approaching them, and Noatak left the arrows to his brother. His arms were fully encased in water whips, and he put them to good use. Three more of the green armored soldiers stepped to his right, and before they could summon up any earth, he had slammed them into the walls with one of the tendrils of water. He jumped back in time to avoid another spear thrust from another guard, and this one was sent back with a full blast of water that knocked him and his comrades down.

"Watch out!" Tarrlok shouted just as he tried to send a blast of water to shield his brother.

Noatak barely had time to look up before an arrow hammered into his shoulder, stopped by bone.

"Are you alright Noatak?!" Tarrlok knelt in front of his brother, using his waterbending to encase them in a shield of ice.

"I'm fine Brother."

Noatak grunted in pain as he found himself falling on his back, but quickly scrambled up to his feet. He tried pulling the arrow out, but it was too painful, the barbs digging into his flesh, so he merely snapped the shaft off. Nodding with gritted teeth to his brother, both ran back as more arrows hammered into the ground where they once stood.

They were backed into a corner now, and the Earth Guards formed a semi circle around them, spears and crossbows leveled, and the captain of the guard stepped forward with a triumphant sneer on his face.

"You're surrounded." The guard stated flatly. "Hand the prisoner over, and I'll ensure you have a swift end."

"Some exit..." Tarrlok grumbled to Lin. Noatak and Niska were both exhausted from the fight as well, but they faced their opponents with grim determination written on their faces, prepared to make their final stand.

"Just wait lily liver." Lin smirked, then grounding her stance, she spread her arms out in focus.

At that moment, everyone in the chamber widened their eyes in astonishment as the entire room began shaking, and a circular section of the wall behind the warriors began shifting. Lin then swung her arms around, and like a turntable, the entire section of floor that the gang was standing on rotated away from the guards and soon, they found themselves standing on the ledge of a very tall cliff. Right outside the city moat.

"Wow." was all Tarrlok could say.

"You're amazing Lin, did I ever tell you that?" Niska said.

"Of course I know. You can still say it though, I don't mind." Lin said with a wide grin.

Noatak however, was not in the mood to stick around. "If we're done here, let's find a way out of here before the guards show up."

Realizing that they were not quite out of this neck of the woods, Niska nodded, "I have reinforcements waiting for us in the forests. We just got to find a way there."

Noatak agreed, and he quickly surveyed the surrounding buildings above for any clues on how they could make the escape. His shoulder was still stinging from the arrow barb stuck in it, and while the pain was excruciating, he was confident he could still make use of the arm for bending if need be.

Then suddenly, inspiration hit him as he eyed a stable that was sitting just at the edge of the moat, probably a way station for riders coming in and out of the city. And where there were stables, there was bound to be some Ostrich Horses.

Perfect.

* * *

"They've what!?" Lee said in disbelief as he heard the messenger repeat the same message from the prison.

"This must be some mistake." The captain said, his voice tight and angry. "I sent the Water Tribe brothers away from the city yesterday."

"Apparently not sir. "The guard explained. "They've mentioned you by name, and from the reports we've received from the prison block, they've also broken out one of our prisoners."

Lee gripped his fists in rage, unable to believe that he had been taken advantage of so. He had befriended the brothers, offered them safe passage to Omashu to escape the Fire Nation, and they repay him like this?

Lee sighed, donning on his cavalry helmet as he took one last look at the city from his vantage point on the walls. It was an odd moment of peace and tranquility in Omashu, and it reminded him painfully of times back home, before the Fire Nation had burnt it to the ground, now, most of the land was barren and empty.

They would not take this place. They must not.

If what he heard about the Prisoner was correct, then this wasn't just a simple escape. It represented a threat to the city itself. And he would do anything in his power to protect this last bastion of the Earth Kingdom. _Anything._

"Ready the Ostrich horses." He said grimly. "We're riding out."

_"Sir!" The guard saluted, then ran off to rally the men._

* * *

Noatak breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Kodiak again. The arctic wolf had been left outside the city, as Noatak was unwilling to risk his best companion in the prison fight. The wolf did wonders when it came to intimidating the city guards at the stables to lend them the Ostrich horses. Now, they only had a little bit more ground to cover before they reached the forest.

The day had begun chaotically, and the brothers were relieved at the reprieve. Once they were far enough from the city, they decided to call for a break.

Noatak dismounted, and grimaced as the broken shaft of the arrow was still lodged in his shoulder. Leaning on a tree, he gripped the arrow tightly, but it sent a spasm of pain and weakness through him.

"Let me help you Noatak." Tarrlok said, walking up to his shoulder.

He glanced at his younger brother, and waved him away, wanting to be left alone, but to his surprise, Tarrlok ignored the gesture, and began bending water from his flask, which probed his wound and wrapped itself around the blade of the arrow.

"It's not too deep brother. Hold still and I can take it out." Tarrlok murmured.

"Do it then." Noatak was far past caring about how it would come out, just as long as it did.

Tarrlok nodded, and Noatak gritted his teeth as the water wound its way deeper into his wound, and while it offered a refreshing coolness it did little to lessen the pain.

"Don't mess this up." He said jokingly.

To his surprise, Tarrlok grinned. "Don't worry brother, Father showed me how to do it."

"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better."

Noatak then felt the water grip around the arrow head, and he grimaced in pain as he felt the shaft of the arrow being pulled from him, but twisting the arrow inside his shoulder in a way that seemed to tighten around his muscles. He jerked involuntarily at the action.

"The...other way..." Noatak grunted angrily, which made Tarrlok flush.

Reversing the current of the water, he manipulated it to twist the arrow the other way, since it had been spinning when it hit him. Noatak gave a sigh of relief as his shoulder muscles relaxed, and the arrow head was lodged out by Tarrlok's waterbending.

"Thanks Tarrlok." Noatak sighed as he bent some of his own water to cover the wound. "You did good today for a Wolf Tail. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"Easy for you to say. The arrow wasn't inside me, if it was me, I'd probably cry like a baby." Tarrlok said self-deprecatingly

"_No_, you wouldn't." Noatak said, giving his brother a firm squeeze on his shoulder before standing up.

"So, has our warrior recovered from his war wounds?" Niska asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Well enough." Noatak replied, then he jerked his head towards Lin, who was busy playing with Tarrlok. "What now?"

"Now, we take her back to her mother." Niska replied. "She must be worried sick."

_"I'm afraid we can't allow you to do that."_

Another voice shot up from beyond the trees, and Noatak's heart pounded as he turned to see a familiar face. This time, instead of a caravan, he was leading a troop of armored lancers on Ostrich horses. All of them were in the green lacquered armor of the Earth Kingdom.

"Lee." Noatak said flatly, while Tarrlok meekly stood in behind his brother.

"Noatak, Tarrlok." The captain trotted his Ostrich horse towards them as his men gathered. "I didn't take you as Fire Nation spies, I even trusted you with passage into our city." He said the last part bitterly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Maybe I should be the one asking you." Noatak replied firmly. "What business does the Earth Kingdom have locking away so many of its people?" Aside from Lin, he also remembered the dungeons full of civilians, almost several towns worth.

"You'd be a fool to think they are our people." Lee said flatly. "They are Fire Nation Colonists, brought over from their wretched homeland to take ours away."

"Even so, there are families there."

"And they would only be there until we won the war. What we are doing to them is a _mercy_ considered to what the Fire Nation does to Earth Kingdom villages." Lee replied.

"And how about Lin?" Noatak asked fiercely. "She's Earth Kingdom. Why lock her up too?"

"Her mother is a great asset to the Earth Kingdom." Lee explained. "But instead of uniting with us, she chose to oppose General Giam. What other choice do we have?"

"That's the kind of attitude I'd expect from the Fire Nation." Noatak said

Lee's eyes widened in rage as he heard the comparison.

"Don't you _dare_ compare me to those Fire Nation scum."

"No." Noatak said, matching Lee's anger with his own. "You're_ exactly_ like them. The innocent kid you told me about, the one always hoping for his brother to return from the war. You sound nothing like him now. What would your brother Sensu say now?"

"War changes you..." Lee replied bitterly. "It makes you realize the sacrifices you have to make if you want to accomplish your goals and to protect your people. You of all people should know this Noatak, you should be able to see the greater picture."

"Well, I'm glad that I don't." Noatak replied firmly. "In the Water Tribes, we take care of our own. How about your own people in the dungeons? What about her?" He waved at Lin. "She's just a little girl."

"Hey! I'm not little!" Lin protested but Niska quickly pushed her aside.

"It isn't about what _she_ wants Noatak, we can't afford that luxury." Lee said, shaking his head. "This is about what we need, what the Earth Kingdom needs to finally kick out the Fire Nation, and drive them into the sea. We need her to help liberate this continent from the Fire Nation. Her mother's soldiers allied with us can give us the edge we need."

"This isn't the right way." Noatak said fiercely.

"No." Lee said, hardening his gaze. "But sadly, it's the only way. Capture them!"

Cursing quietly, Noatak assumed a defensive stance. He checked the pouch by his side - he was all out of water.

The lancers, sensing their victory, lowered their weapons and readied their ostrich horses, and as one the formation charged forward.

Noatak and Tarrlok closed their eyes in anticipation, but then suddenly, the lead horseman halted, wide eyed.

To everyone's surprise, the first lancer's mount was hit by an arrow, causing it to flay wildly and throwing its rider off into the dirt.

"What's going on?" Lee shouted as he watched more of his men get hit by arrows, causing them to get thrown off the saddle or have their mounts run about wild. Whoever was attacking them was good, and Noatak noted the precision shots that aimed for the exposed parts of the guard's and ostrich horse's armor. Earthbenders also joined in, and several meteor hammers (rocks with chains bound to them) slammed into the lancer formation, throwing them into disarray.

At that, Noatak looked up at the trees, where several dark forms stood above the lancers, all with arrows aimed at them.

"Retreat!" Lee grunted as an arrow slammed him in the chest, lodging into his armor. As the rest of his men gathered up, he gave Noatak one last glare before disappearing through the trees.

With the Earth lancers a safe distance away, the figures slid down from the trees, all of them clothed in a black garb that covered their faces and blended them seamlessly into the trees.

As Noatak and Tarrlok assumed a fighting stance, Niska briefly waved them away.

"It's alright boys. We're safe now. These are my friends."

"You said nothing about water tribe warriors Niska." The leader of the group spoke, and Noatak was surprised to find out that it was a girl underneath the dark garb, her hair was short and brown, with a neat red ribbon tying it in a bun.

"I sort of improvised." Niska smirked.

"Well, if they're enemies of Giam, they're friends of ours." The lead warrior smiled, putting away the chained meteor hammers and uncovering the cloth to reveal her face.

"My name is Kori Morishita. An honor to meet you." The girl nodded, then gestured towards the other two members of the team. A tall thin man who carried a bow and wore a conical paddy hat, and another girl with bushy hair, and red markings painted all over her cheeks.

"And these are my team mates, Longshot and Smellerbee."

Smellerbee grunted an acknowledgment. "I guess you did well to last this long against Giam's men. Welcome to the club."

Longshot merely nodded stoically at the pair, chewing long blade of grass silently.

"Whoa..." Tarrlok was at a loss for words, seeing the freedom fighters for the first time, it was nothing like anything he had seen in the North Pole.

Niska smirked, enjoying the reaction.

"I said I made a few friends during my time here. Well, allow me to introduce you to General Bei Fong's elite scouts. The Gaoling Freedom Fighters."

* * *

High General Giam frowned in frustration as he heard the latest news from his throne in the King's chamber. His own lancer cavalry had failed to secure the prisoners, and now, Lin was out of his grasp, and by extension, so was her mother's famed Metal Benders.

"So Lin Bei Fong has escaped?" The General asked,

"Yes...and it seems like the case sir." The messenger gulped at having to deliver the bad news.

"I see...that does put a dent in our timetable." He mused quietly, then slammed his fist on armchair of the throne.

"But still, I've had enough waiting. It's time we accelerate our plans. One way or another, Ba Sing Se will be mine by year's end and we will throw the armies of the Fire Nation into the sea. Have orders sent out to our armies, I want our men ready to move at a moment's notice."

"Yes lord." The messenger bowed meekly, then hurried out to carry the task, lest he risk the General's wrath.

Giam grunted as the man left his presence, clasping his hands behind his back and staring out at the mountain ranges to the south, where his enemy undoubtedly lay.

"So be it, Bei Fong, watch from your little village as I crush the Fire Nation beneath my heel. Once I'm done with them, I'll be sure to pay _you_ a visit. And that is a promise I intend to keep."

* * *

**PHEW! That was a hard one to write. Thanks again everyone for the reviews/faves/reads :) Next up, Korra and the krew run into some trouble at landing at the Earth Kingdom! Stay tuned. **

**To those i can't reply via PM**

**Guest: **In terms of bending ability, no, Zhenjin is in his teens, whereas Azula is in her mid thirties, the prime of her life and at the peak of her powers (scary thought isnt it?)

**Guest:** Can't give too much away, but I'm glad i'm getting you to think these :) I intend to have Zhenjin play a big part in the dynamic of this story, so just wait and see

**Saki:** Thanks! glad you like it :)

**Guest2: **Thanks again, and yes, that is exactly why i'm limiting the OCs in this one. The stars of the crossover should ultimately be the original characters of the show.


	17. Dangerous Waters

**Chapter 17 : Dangerous Waters  
**

* * *

It was a beautiful clear day, looking down, she saw the whole country spread out before her like a great quilt of every shade of green. The wind flowed through her hair, almost as though she was flying. Not just flying, she was sitting on some kind of furry creature, a bison, but one that flew? A soothing coolness ran through her core, and she felt free, almost lucid as she lay there peacefully.

_What...what's going on?_

There were several figures on this Flying Bison with her. A bear, a scrawny little man, and a little girl. But at the forefront of the saddle, there were two water tribe members, a boy and a girl. It was into the girl's eyes that she was looking into, weary from exhaustion. She was pretty, but she had a sad look in her eyes for some reason.

The young water tribe boy knelt beside the girl, putting his hands on her shoulder. "You've been at this all night Katara, I think it's time you take a break."

"It's not working." The girl (who she guessed was Katara) sighed in frustration. She had used the bulk of her spirit water in the caverns of Ba Sing Se, and she barely had any left to heal the wounds. The Spirit Water must have helped though, since he started moving and groaning from the first touch of it, but she was scared that it might not be enough. She clenched her fists in anger as she remembered why, and for the first time since they set off on their journey, she was starting to lose hope.

"You saved him." The boy replied reassuringly.

"I can't be too sure Sokka." Katara replied back to the boy. "He hasn't done anything since I've used the spirit water, and he's only opened his eyes once last night."

"Which is better than nothing." Sokka nodded, doing his best to put on a brave front for Katara. "He just needs time. Don't worry."

"How is Twinkletoes doing?" A child's voice, one that was hauntingly familiar, asked from the back of the saddle with concern.

Katara exhaled to gather her thoughts, then replied. "Not good Toph. But I think he's holding up. I can't say for sure until we set him down and take a closer look."

"We can't land just yet." Sokka replied, "We have to get as much distance between us and Ba Sing Se as we can."

"But where can we run to?" Toph asked.

At that, Sokka had an answer. "Chameleon Bay. Our father's warriors shouldn't be camped too far. From there, we can plan the invasion, and get Aang ready for the next step."

Everyone nodded grimly, and for Korra, her vision suddenly went black.

_Invasion? Aang? What next step? What's going on? And...why can't I move my body?_

_.._

_..._

**_I told you_**

_What?_

_**I told you we would meet again**  
_

_Who...who are you? _

**_Avatar_**

_What? Avatar?  
_

**_Yes...Avatar..._**

_Korra_

"Korra!" She felt a slap on the side of her helmet that knocked her back into reality. And now she found herself staring at the crisp blue ocean waves as they pummeled against the side of the Fire Navy ship. She rubbed her head as she tried to shake off the vertigo, she must have been lost in thought staring out at the ocean. But what kind of a day dream was that? It had nothing to do with...well anything. Although that name popped up again, from that other dream of hers. Sokka. Who was that guy? And now, there was this new word. Avatar?

"What's gotten into you?" Mako asked as he stood beside her on the rail. "Asami and I were discussing the next step in our plan, and you just waltzed off dazed and confused."

"I dunno, I was day dreaming I guess." She gave her stiff neck a rub.

"Well, don't let it get in the way of your duties." Mako said seriously.

"It was weird...there was this boy there." Korra replied.

"A boy?" Mako raised his eyebrow in curiosity.

"Not in that way," Korra smirked. "I dunno, it just felt weird that's all."

"Well stay focused," Mako grunted. "We're nearing the beach soon. Then we can start tracking the refugees."

As he spoke, Asami stepped next to them on the edge of the ship. "The Captain says we'll land in the next half hour. Be ready. It shouldn't take more than five of us, so I'll have the three of us, plus Hide and On Ji to start. Sound good?"

"Of course Sentinel." Mako nodded.

"Just call me Asami." She smiled. "I may be on duty, but you don't have to be all 'sergeant serious' around me."

"Right. Asami." Mako corrected himself rather quickly. "I'll check up on Hide and On Ji, best get them ready." With that, Mako disappeared below decks.

"A wise retreat if I ever saw one." Asami said jokingly, then turned to Korra. "So, all set to get your refugees and go home?"

"I guess I am." Korra said uneasily, not sure if she was willing to call that nightmare of a prison 'home'.

"Well, despite what Admiral Chan's report has said about you. I like what I'm seeing from you so far. Keep this up, and maybe, just maybe I can see whether we can get you out of that South Pole colony. You have the potential and i can see you being Sentinel material."

"Really?!" Korra said, perhaps a bit too excitedly. This could be the break she was looking for, as Mako said.

"Of course." Asami replied briskly. "Nothing is impossible when it comes to being a Sentinel of Azula. But you still have a long way to show me that you have what it takes."

"Oh don't you worry about." Korra said confidently.

"Just what I was looking to hear." Asami grinned. "Now let's get ready. We wouldn't want to be late for your prisoners now do we?"

"Of course." Korra grinned, then a thought popped into her mind, and she decided give it a try. "Asami?"

"Yes?"

"As the Phoenix Lord's Sentinel, you probably know everything that there is to know in the Empire right?" She remarked curiously.

"Heh. Probably." Asami gave an innocent shrug. It was true, a Sentinel did have to keep on top of everything if they hoped to protect the Phoenix Lord.

"Then I have a question..."

"If it's about Mako, I probably wouldn't have anything flattering to say." She smirked.

Korra chuckled at that bit. "No, not that, just something I was wondering about."

"Well, as long as it's nothing classifed, I can humor you. Shoot." Asami said with indifference.

_Well. It's not or never._ Korra inhaled deeply, wondering why she was so afraid to even ask this, but the curiosity was nagging at her. She had to know...for some reason.

"What's an Avatar?"

That question made Asami raise an eyebrow. "What kind of random question is that?"

"I...don't know. Just something I heard from the prisoners before they escaped." She spoke the lie smoothly with a guile worthy of Azula.

Asami blinked briefly at having been asked that question, it sounded plausible enough, but she wondered why she would be asked that all of a sudden. She sighed, deciding there was no harm in answering that one, perhaps she was just overthinking it.

"The Avatar was the Fire Nation's greatest enemy, a bender who was said to have mastered all four of the elements to try and defeat the Fire Nation and throw the world back into the chaos that it once was. The last one was killed twenty years ago." Asami explained. "And as far as we know, he was the _last_ one, thanks to our great Phoenix Lord and her brother, Prince Zuko."

"Wow," Korra widened her eyes in shock. It was fearsome enough to have total mastery of just one of the elements, but to be able to bend all four? This Avatar must have been a dangerous person indeed. "Can't imagine fighting someone that scary."

"Yep," Asami replied. "Which is what made Phoenix Lord Azula's battle with him even more legendary. They say she struck him down with lightning, after single-handedly fighting her way into the Earth Kingdom, without any of her armies or guards."

"Phoenix Lord Azula must be something." Korra whistled appreciatively.

"You don't know the half of it." Asami smiled. "I've looked up to her ever since I was a child."

"And...this Avatar is now gone forever?" Korra asked.

Asami nodded, "There are some who still cling to the belief that the Avatar is alive, but I doubt it. Otherwise, we would have heard from this new Avatar by now. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Was all Korra could say.

* * *

The Warden frowned as he observed the Pai Sho board in front of him, taking a sip of jasmine tea as he pondered his next strategy. His opponent was strong, and played with great patience and experience, which was to be expected when playing a Master of the Fire Nation.

"You started with the White Lotus. Very unorthodox, but I can't argue with a results." The warden observed wryly, he could sense when the tide was turning and he sought a proper counter move.

"It is not a very well known strategem, which makes it all the more effective since the opponent doesn't expect it coming." The Old master said wryly with a smile. Although he was deep under cover, it didn't prevent Iroh from enjoying himself as he found himself sitting down with a cup of tea and his favourite game. Even if his opponent was the man who he had been silently plotting against for years on end.

The warden in time, had come to see Iroh as a trusted military advisor, perhaps even a friend, and this game was just one of many they had shared during his time in the South Pole. Even as Iroh pondered his next move, he saw that the warden was very much lost in thought.

"You're thinking about your pupil." Iroh observed as he placed a lily tile on the board. It horrified every fiber of Iroh's being to refer to Korra as such, but he had to play along if he was to keep his cover.

"Yes." The warden took a sip of tea as he placed his own tile in response.

"She's a remarkable young woman." Iroh commented genuinely. "I've never seen anyone quite like her."

"Indeed," the warden nodded. "Her last failure aside, she has honestly exceeded all my expectations of her. I'm growing quite fond of her myself, like the daughter I never had." He said wistfully.

Iroh raised an eyebrow at that statement. "Then why punish her like that?"

"To set an example of course, as any good teacher should." The warden replied briskly, then set his own Pai Sho tile down. "And my little task at the end. It was to give her that extra spark of motivation and ignite her spirit to greater things."

"So it wasn't just about the prisoners." Iroh said softly.

"I have pushed her through many trials," The warden said calmly. "Now, she has one final obstacle to prove herself, and what better way to prove it than sending her after her own people? In time, even she will understand."

"You aren't worried she will take this chance to escape?" Iroh pressed, hoping to exact as much useful information as he could.

"Of course not." The warden smiled. "Her punishment, and her family guarantees that."

The warden leaned in closer to Iroh, "You see, the strongest chains are not usually the ones made of iron. They are the ones you can't see."

"I am not a fool when it comes to my prisoners. She could have escaped, several times." The warden noted. "But she chooses not to, and she will continue to do so. There was even a time when I had arranged a little test for her father, a fake escape attempt through an old mine shaft dug underneath the walls. He failed and paid the price. His daughter knows her place now because of it. I'd say that was worth the investment."

"A very astute statement." Iroh frowned, then placed his next move on the Pai Sho tile. It would be difficult, he reasoned, to try and pry Korra from this man's influence. But the Dragon of the West was never known to back down from any battle.

"In any case," Iroh said as he stood up, stretching his arms. "I must be going now. There are matters on the mainland I have to attend to, and I am confident you will have no need of my services here."

"Not true my friend," The warden replied, "I can always use a good partner for Pai Sho."

"You give me too much praise." Iroh bowed, "but I enjoyed it nonetheless."

"My men can escort you to the harbor." The warden said.

"I appreciate the gesture." Iroh smiled. "But I prefer the solitude. Thank you for the tea, and the excellent game." He bowed politely.

"I hope you will visit the South Pole soon." The warden nodded. "We could use more men like you around here."

"An old crab like me? I doubt it." Iroh laughed heartily, then replied with a polite smile. "Don't worry my friend, I will probably be back sooner than you think."

"I look forward to it." The warden replied cordially.

Iroh bowed again, before turning to leave. He had done all he could here in the prison. Now, it was time to finally join his nephew, and rescue the Avatar.

* * *

Korra awoke with a start as she heard something bump against the side of the Fire Navy cruiser. It had been a long night's cruise and she had found herself retiring to one of the lower bulk heads, heavy with sleep. Now, there was commotion above deck, and she heard the unmistakale banging of metal above.

"What's going on?" Korra stirred drowsily as she instinctively put on her red armor. As she went into the hallway of the ship, she saw more Fire Navy marines running past her, all of them rushing above deck as the sounds of battle became louder.

"We're under attack!" Someone had shouted.

Suddenly, the entire floor shook as the ship began tilting side to side, and several marines were thrown off their feet in the confusion.

_Not good._

Korra rushed past the fallen marines, emerging on top deck to see several dozen figures locked in combat. Bursts of flame temporarily illuminated the battlefield and Korra heart skipped a beat when she saw who the Fire Navy marines were engaged with. They wore the familiar dark blue armor, trimmed with the white furs of Arctic Wolves.

Wolf Tail Raiders.

Somehow, the Water Tribe raiders had managed to sneak up onto their ship during the dead of night, and they were trying to overpower the crew and take over the ship.

Tendrils of water rushed over the deck, as the water benders used the ocean water to swipe the Fire Navy soldiers into the sea. Several more of the Wolf Tails had emerged from the ocean, conjuring up spires of Ice to lift them from the bottom of the boat and straight into battle. The ice shards towered over the ship, rocking it side to side as more water benders joined in the fray.

She looked to her side, and saw that Mako was locked in a fight with a Wolf Tail who had tried to stab him with a spear, but a quick burst of flame sent the man reeling over.

A cry of pain sounded somewhere else, and Korra turned to see Asami, poised and confident, dodging a barrage of ice shards and executing pin point strikes across every wolf tail she passed, leaving their arms and legs dangling uselessly in her wake. A series of well placed punches and kicks sent the group of warriors to the ground.

At that moment, a Wolf Tail tried to send Korra over the edge of the ship with a blast of water, but Korra countered with her own burst of flame, negating her opponent's blast. The man was shocked, both at seeing a water tribe member in Fire nation gear, and seeing the same person firebend, and Korra used the opening to perform a sweeping kick at the man's legs, tripping him back and over the railing to the sea below.

She instinctively ducked as she swept the man, dodging two more water whips that cracked above her head, and just as she stood up, she brushed a tendril of water away casually with her arm, slicing it into two before resuming her firebending stance.

The Wolf Tail widened his eyes incredulously as he saw the firebender slap away the water like it was nothing, but Korra was focused on the battle, and she saw the opening and rushed, performing a cartwheel kick of flame in the air that knocked the Water tribe Warrior hard against the rails, and sending another off into the water.

The Fire navy marines cheered, sensing the tide was turning in their favor, and pressed the charge.

* * *

The battle on the iron ship was visible for miles around, and even from this distance it was not difficult to see the bursts of flame that shot on the open deck against the clear night sky.

Watching from a safe distance, the rest of the Wolf Tail raiders waited on their submarine transports. Huge iron-plated vessels that had the ability to travel underwater via waterbending.

For decades since the end of the original hundred years war, the water tribes had retreated to their strongholds in the North Pole, hidden away from the prying eyes of the Fire Navy. Now, the Wolf Tails were the scourge of the seas, preying on Fire Navy convoys and isolated ships such as this one. Doing everything to harass and weaken the Fire Nation until the promised day, when they would be ready to strike back.

Still, this ship was proving very troublesome, and the commander contemplated sending more waves of men onboard.

"It seems the Fire Nation has a lot more spine than I give them credit for." The commander grunted, as if such a thing were a mere annoyance.

"It's a ship of the Southern Raiders. We can expect no less." A Wolf Tail lieutenant replied. Being the premiere force in the Fire Navy, the Southern Raiders had something of a longstanding rivalry with the Wolf Tails.

"Still, they will go down all the same." The man said, his eyes hard and pitiless.

The lieutenant nodded, just as another water tribe warrior boarded the water tribe boat, fresh from the battle. "Sir, they're saying that there is a Sentinel on board."

"A Sentinel? Are you sure?" The commander asked.

"She took down a good number of our men already, I'm sure." the warrior replied.

That put things into perspective. An attack on a Sentinel was the equivalent of an attack on Azula herself, and if word got out, the full fury of the Imperial Forces would come down on his men. And while he was confident in the abilities of his men, that would be too much. Plus it was still too early in his plan to force a direct confrontation, not with the operation he had set up in New Ozai's criminal world. No. he would play it safe for now.

"While I would love to kill every last one of them." The commander said grudgingly. "It's best not to have Azula's gaze directly upon our wolf pack, at least, not at this stage. Pull the men back for now, we'll find easier prey to hunt."

"As you wish. Commander Yakone." The lieutenant replied.

Yakone nodded gruffly. A confrontation with Azula would be for another day, and when that time came, he would make them all suffer for what they did to him.

* * *

"They're retreating!" A marine shouted, just as the remaining Water Tribe Raiders began pulling back, diving straight into the water before using their bending to escape, leaving several streams of water in their wake.

"Everyone okay?" Mako asked as he reunited with Korra and Asami. The rest of the crew were busy repairing the damage to he shipe, while On Ji and Hide, late to the party, were busy carrying the marines who were hurt down to the sick bay below.

"Just fine, thanks sarge." Korra nodded.

"They knew we didn't expect an attack out here at sea. Clever to attack at night too." Asami said appreciatively as the rest of the Water Benders vanished into the darkness.

"Wolf Tail Raiders." Mako muttered under his breath. "It seems they're getting bolder now, never would have expected them to attack a Fire Navy ship directly."

"They didn't count on having us aboard though." Korra cracked her knuckles, "As well as Asami."

"It was a team effort." Asami replied nonchalantly as she sheathed her sword. "In any case, they shouldn't distract us from our real task at hand."

Mako nodded in agreement. "I spoke with the captain, he said we should make landfall by tomorrow."

"Then the hunt can begin in earnest." Asami said with relish, then she turned to Korra. "Get some rest, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and you'll need all your energy. You did great today by the way."

"Thanks Asami." Korra smiled, glad to see that her talent wasn't being missed by the Sentinel. "I'll catch you tomorrow okay?"

"Sure thing." Asami nodded, and watched as Korra retreated back to her bunks. She would keep that one close to her, she reckoned. One, to accurately gauge whether she would be a worthy recruit, and second, she was curious about her. There was something odd about Korra, something she couldn't place and it nagged at the back of Asami's mind. Something about her didn't seem right (well, apart from the fact that she was a water tribe person who could fire bend), and Sentinels of Azula were always taught to trust their gut instincts. Was it something she saw during the fight against the Water Tribesman? Nah..it couldn't be.

She sighed, either way, tomorrow, was going to be a long day indeed, and she needed the rest. They had a long journey ahead of them.

* * *

**Thanks SO MUCH everyone for reviews/reads/faves :) as always. More to come soon! Next up...Korra's crew is on the trail, and Admiral Chan returns on a hunt of his own :)  
**


	18. The Hunt

**Chapter 18 : The Hunt  
**

* * *

Streams of flame scythed through the forest violently, blasting wooden chunks off nearby trees and spraying ashen leaves onto the forest floor. Before the branches even fell, a masked figure ran past the debris, chased by another half dozen men, all riding Mongoose dragon mounts.

"Stop! In the name of the Phoenix Lord!" A royal marine guard shouted furiously, just as he shot another burst of flame towards his target.

Zuko had no intention of complying with the man, who obviously had orders to bring him in dead or alive. More blasts of fire landed around him, and he felt the familiar heat of the flames brushing uncomfortably close as the shots narrowly missed him. The Prince was quicker however, and he spun around just in time for the next shots, deflecting the blasts harmlessly to graze a nearby tree instead. Deciding he had had enough, he turned to face his pursuers, calmly unsheathing two hook swords, daring the marines to come at him.

Far from being discouraged, the royal marines continued the charge, aiming to run down their prey where he stood. However, Zuko was ready.

As the first Mongoose dragon charged, he rolled to his side, using his hook blade to catch the Marine's foot in his stirrups, he pulled him off his saddle, causing him to scream as the Mongoose dragon dragged him through the trees beyond.

Even as the first marine vanished into the foliage, the Zuko instinctively lifted his second blade above his head, and it rang against metal as the second Marine lashed out with a sword. Caught off guard by the unexpected parry, the second marine reeled his mongoose dragon to stop, and that gave Zuko all the time he needed. Not giving the Marine a chance to recover, he shot a burst of flame at the mongoose dragon's face, searing it's eyes shut and causing the animal to throw about in a wild panic, throwing the rest of the Marine charge into confusion and panic, several marines falling unceremoniously off their saddles.

Having thrown his pursuers into a state of confusion, he turned and ran, not stopping as he abandoned the road for the thick trees. After what seemed like an eternity, Zuko crouched low behind the trunk of a fallen tree, his legs burning with fire from the exertion. He would have to catch his breath, in case he needed to fight again.

In hindsight, it had not been the brightest of his ideas to rescue those water tribe prisoners and divert Chan's attention to him. It was a reckless and impulsive plan, and it reminded him of his younger days. There was no guarantee but he had hoped that it would pay off.

Still, Zuko thought, the longer those two water tribe prisoners were out there, the bigger the chance that the Avatar and her search party would be out in the open. and vulnerable.

That was the first part of the plan, the second part relied entirely on the resistance, and even that part was sketchy, considering his past reputation in the Earth Kingdom. That was why he had to go as the Blue Spirit, not as Prince Zuko. That part of his life was gone forever, he thought wistfully. There was nothing left for him but to atone for his past mistakes; and that started and ended with rescuing this new Avatar.

But first, he had to escape Admiral Chan's Marines.

Zuko snuck a peek over the log, and was treated to the sight of a squadron of heavily armored marines and their ferocious mongoose dragon mounts. Leading them, adorned in the ceremonial gold trimmed uniform of an admiral, was Chan.

"I know you're here traitor!" Chan's authoritative voice shouted out through the trees. "Make this easier for yourself and give up now, and I'll promise you a swift end!"

That voice, and the memories it triggered, made Zuko grip the sword handles tighter. But he pushed his desire for revenge down with a cold resolve; that would be for another day.

Popping out of cover, Zuko sent several fire blasts towards the admiral and his squadron, causing the mongoose dragons to reel back in fear, and throwing several soldiers off their mounts. Those precious few seconds were all that he needed to bolt for it. With a wave of his hand, he set the entire treeline on fire, obscuring his escape in a cloud of ash and flame.

He didn't look back, instead, he kept running. Eventually, he found a road, and the winding path and trees gave way to an old abandoned village, now nothing more than a bunch of ruined and hollowed out shacks. No doubt this was only one of many ghost towns that littered the former Earth Kingdom, from the day of the Great Burning.

A shot of guilt ran through Zuko as he ran past the dilapidated ruins. He had spent his youth in the Earth Kingdom, chasing the avatar and avoiding Azula's guards. He had lived amongst its people, made friends, and had a chance at a pretty normal life there. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he enjoyed it, and thinking back on it, he felt a strange attachment to this land, like it was a second home. Now, it was desolate and ruined, because of his actions and words; like that time when his father Ozai had burned the land on his 'advice'.

Zuko grunted, pushing that useless thought down. There would be time to brood later, when he wasn't being hunted down across the countryside by the Fire Nation's finest. He saw another patch of forested land, near the location that his uncle had given him. With that in mind, he redoubled his efforts and pressed on.

* * *

The Blue Spirit had vanished, disappearing into the forest and through the abandoned village beyond. He couldn't see him anymore, but the tracks were fresh.

Admiral Chan snarled as he brought his men together. This had already taken far longer than he had anticipated, much less wished for. Although he was hunting the fugitive, it was through territory that was still solidly contested by the Earth Kingdom Resistance. Which meant that there wouldn't be as many available troops to pull together on his little hunt, more to the point, running into any Earth Kingdom Remnant forces would simply be an annoyance and delay he couldn't afford.

He gritted his teeth at the thought, but this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up. He could only imagine the favor he would gain with Azula if he had succeeded in capturing her traitor brother, or even better, delivered her his head.

Smiling at that thought, Chan signaled one of his officers to come closer.

"Yes Admiral Chan?" The marine asked as he reined in his mount alongside the Admiral's.

"Get a message back to the fleet, I want all available units dispatched here. We won't stop until that Blue Spirit is in our hands. Sweep the area and smoke the traitor out. And destroy anyone that gets in your way. Is that understood?"

"Sir." The officer saluted, then peeled off from the group and began sprinting his Mongoose Dragon back to the beach head where they landed.

Chan grinned in anticipation. Even if he didn't catch Zuko, at the very least, he would purge this area of resistance forces.

* * *

Korra couldn't believe her eyes as she landed on the beach for the first time. It was all so..._different_. Granted, she had seen Sentinel Island already, but the sheer scope of this land amazed her, the carpet of trees that seemed to stretch from one end of the horizon to another, not to mention the sheer cliffs and mountain ranges that lay beyond. The Earth Kingdom was truly something to behold.

"Are you going to give that dumb look every place we visit?" Asami asked teasingly as she waded the shallow waters of the beach with Korra.

"I spent most of my life in a prison Asami," Korra replied almost self-deprecatingly, "You can at least cut me some slack at seeing the outside world."

Asami chuckled a bit at that barb. "Alright, you get a pass this time. But remember, we're here for your prisoners. Nothing else."

Nodding quietly, Korra unconsciously felt the sting of her scarred back. "Believe me, I know."

"Good, now, let me show you something." Asami smiled, then turned to whistle at a crew of Fire Navy Marines as they unloaded her cargo from the ship's hold. The Fire Marines struggled as they lifted the several heavy crates off the ship and over the shallows of the beach head, many of them collapsing on the sand as they dropped the crates. Korra raised her eyebrow in curiosity as she watched Asami open up one of the crates. There were some that were small, the size of a basket of fruit, while another was huge, having been rolled off the cargo hold of the ship, it looked big enough to store a tank.

"You've asked me once how a non-bender like me could make the sentinels?" Asami said non-chalantly as she opened one of the smaller crates. "Well, it pays that your father is the leading inventor for the Phoenix Empire. For instance, you get to try out all the new toys first."

Asami revealed her hand, which was now encased in a mechanical glove.

"I give you, Chi blocker gloves. Perfect for close quarters combat with any type of bender." She smirked, giving her fingers an experimental twitch which produced a brilliant blue shock of electricity. "These are usually reserved for the special elite forces of Azula, but my father is hoping to make these available to the non-benders in the Fire Army in general."

"Alright, that's pretty cool." Korra admitted, rather impressed.

"You haven't seen the half of it." Asami said non-chalantly as she pocketed her gloves. "But I'll save that for later. Let's figure out where your prisoners went."

As she spoke, Korra heard approaching footsteps, and she gave a smile as she saw Mako, On Ji and Hide walk up to them. On Ji and Hide were eyeing the gigantic metal container that had been offloaded from the ship onto the beach, while Mako carried the usual stern, serious look in his eyes, as though he were always on guard.

"I think we have an idea where your prisoners went." Mako offered helpfully.

"Impressive Mako, looks like the Sentinels are rubbing off on you." Asami smiled. "Show us."

Nodding, Mako took the girls to a spot further inland on the beach, where already several holes were dug to reveal a set of tattered furs and shattered spears.

"We found some buried weapons and armor on the beach." Mako explained. "It looks like our prisoners went further inland."

That deflated Korra's previous enthusiasm. "Great, so we've lost them then?" She asked, dread beginning to cloud her thoughts.

Asami knelt down at the sight of the buried armors, her eyes scanning thoughtfully further inland as she walked over towards a copse of trees and shrubs, sighting a faint trail of tracks that made their way across the beach sands towards the mountains. After what seemed like an eternity, she stood up and smiled.

"They're not far off." She announced. "We still have a chance at catching them. They went north, can't be more than two days ahead of us."

Korra furrowed her brows at that statement. "How exactly did you figure that out just from looking at some shrubs?"

Asami smirked. "You want a lesson in tracking? Or do you want to find your prisoners?"

This time, Mako stepped in. "Even if you knew what direction they were going, how are we going to catch them?" Mako asked. "If what you said is true, those raiders would be too far ahead for us to catch."

"Of course I've considered that." Asami said calmly, gesturing towards the huge metal container that lay on the beach. "That's why I brought this."

She walked up to the giant container, and gave it a hard slam of her hand, as if on cue, the metallic locks of the container detached, causing the sides to fall down onto the sand. Korra and Mako dropped their jaws in amazement as they saw the contents of the metallic container. It was a large metallic vehicle, twice as big as a fire nation tank, with a sharp, armored plow on the front (used to batter a path through obstacles), with two huge grappling hook cannons on both sides of the front.

"Another prototype my father created, a variation of Phoenix Lord Azula's war tank train. We call it, the Sato-Tank."

"Whoa." Was all Korra could say.

"That's it?" Asami smirked. "I expected more of a reaction."

"Didn't want to give off any more of that _dumb tribal vibe_, sentinel_._" Korra replied jokingly.

Asami chuckled softly, then pressed a button to open the hatch on the sato tank. "So. Ever been behind the wheel of one of these things?" Asami asked.

"Can't even drive a Polar Bear Dog." Korra confessed, somewhat awkwardly.

"In any case, the trail leads north, possibly straight to Omashu. How about I take you for a spin in one of these?"

Korra nodded, her eyes lighting up from the excitement of riding one of these mechanical machines, mixed in with her grim determination to see her mission through.

"Let's do this."

* * *

He had traveled for hours before reaching the town, the destination that his uncle had told him about before setting off from the South Pole. It was a quaint little city, nested within a mountain valley to the south. While the city itself was under the occupation of a Fire Nation garrison, it was the mansion on the outskirts of the town that concerned him. It was a ruined old estate, abandoned for what seemed like years now, but beneath the crumbling walls, was an entrance way, the faded crest of a flying boar on the arch.

In front of the entrance way, Zuko, or the Blue Spirit, as the rebels knew him, stood warily as a he faced a group of resistance soldiers.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up at my doorstep." The rebel leader, a woman clad in metal armor, remarked with hostility as her guards surrounded Zuko. "How did you even know about this place?"

"The Grand Lotus showed me." Was all Zuko could say, without giving too much of his identity away.

The woman sighed, knowing full well what Zuko meant.

"Figures. Still, you should be thankful. He's the only reason why I haven't locked you up in one of our cells. Although I am considering it at this point." She replied guardedly, tapping her foot down on the ground impatiently, as if expecting Zuko to offer her a reason not to.

"Hear me out first." Zuko replied, "I have a message for your ears only, something that can change everything in this war."

"I don't trust him." A soldier whispered into the leader's ear. "We saw him firebend those guards away, and he somehow knows the secret entrance to our base? It's too suspicious if you ask me."

The leader nodded, turning towards her lieutenant. "I know what you mean, but we have many more bases like this, I can afford the risk. Besides, I'm interested in hearing what he has to say."

"You know this man?" the soldier replied harshly.

"Oh yes," She replied firmly, her eyes rolling in the darkness. "We go _way_ back."

Then she turned towards Zuko.

"Fine, for your Uncle's sake, I'll hear you out. Even if it goes against my better judgment. But if you try any funny business, believe me, _I'll__ know_." She said with dead certainty in her voice, she didn't need to imply what would happen if that were the case.

Zuko nodded, and he sheathed his dual daos, allowing the resistance soldiers to lead him through ruined archway of the mansion. With one solid tap of her foot into the ground, the Earthbending leader summoned up a tunnel entrance that had not been under the archway previously, and the soldiers filed in silently after her, keeping a close eye on Zuko as he walked.

A feeling of apprehension came over Zuko, as if he were walking into the lion's den. It was not far from the truth, after all, he wasn't the first firebender to feel intimidated by the great Toph Bei Fong. The Infamous Blind Bandit.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay guys, just been crazy busy this last few weeks. A shorter chapter for now, more to come later. Thanks as always, for the reads/reviews/faves! :D  
**

**Possibilities for the next chapter ;) Korra and the krew stumble upon General Giam and his forces and the secrets of Omashu, Noatak and Tarrlok meet the infamous Toph Bei Fong!  
**

**To those i can't reach via PM**

Guest1: I will indeed cover Yakone and his history in later chapters :) There will be bloodbending don't you worry.

Guest2: The tech in this era is a bit behind on LoK, but you've already seen glimpses of it (from the ship cannons, to the use of telegraphs) Think of this as the 'breakout' era when new things are being invented, I'll be introducing more and more tech as the story goes along.

Guest3: Zhenjin can command the sentinels, unless Azula herself gives an overriding order. In the absence of that, as a member of the royal family, he can issue orders.

Alexandra: Korra is inevitably going down the path of meeting up with the Bei Fongs :) So i will keep that in mind. Noatak and Tarrlok will definitely interact more with Korra as well.


	19. The Gaoling Resistance

**Chapter 19: The Gaoling Resistance  
**

* * *

Tarrlok and Noatak walked uneasily in the middle of the resistance group. Although Niska and Lin were welcomed with open arms, Kori was a bit more cautious with the waterbenders, opting that they be blindfolded as a pre-caution to keep the location of their base a secret.

"Normally Niska's word and your actions should be enough, but we can never be too sure." Kori said apologetically. "Azula's been very clever with planting her spies everywhere, so one can never be too careful."

It's only temporary." Niska reassured them, just as Tarrlok coincidentally stumbled on a tree branch that lay on the road, which caused Lin to giggle. "Once General Bei Fong vets you two, these won't be necessary."

"Glad to know you've thought of everything." Tarrlok mumbled.

"Quiet Tarrlok!" Noatak hushed his younger brother, then bowed calmly in the general direction of Kori. "We understand. The Wolf Tail Raiders would have done the same. Lead on, and we can prove to you that we're trustworthy."

Kori nodded, and the group continued walking down the forest road. Above them, in the trees, Longshot and Smellerbee made their own way, providing cover and scouting for the group above.

They had been walking for the better part of a day now since their escape from Giam's men, and Noatak felt the warm bask of the sun on his skin quickly giving way to the cool air of the night. Tarrlok himself soon stopped complaining, he was too tired from the walking to do much else. Kodiak was adjusting well enough, walking beside Lin while occasionally brushing his fur against Noatak's leg. In a sense, he acted as a seeing eye wolf.

Noatak meanwhile, was using this moment to take note of his surroundings. True, he couldn't see, but a lifetime of scouting on the front lines had made him familiar with the feel of many landmarks. A rush of water usually denoted a stream, while the number of steps and turns, along with the brush of leaves on the ground would tell him just how far deep into the forest they were walking. After a while though, he simply gave up. His shoulder was still aching, and he was getting tired from the long escape and chase.

"Are you alright brother?" Tarrlok asked.

"I'm fine." Noatak replied gruffly. "Just getting a bit sick of running around like this, we should be back in the North Pole with the other Wolf Tails fighting the Fire Nation."

"Seems to me like we're fighting Fire Nation no matter where we are." The younger waterbender noted wryly. "Besides, it's not like we had much of a choice."

Noatak grudgingly had to agree. It was like they were being carried from one misadventure to the next, like the very water they bent. Still, Tarrlok may have a point, it was a Wolf Tail's duty to fight the Fire Nation, no matter where they were, he could only hope that they would be able to make a difference here in the Earth Kingdom.

After what seemed like an eternity, the group finally stopped, and the brothers felt a rumble of the Earth beneath their feet, followed by a crushing slam that seemed to imply a door opening.

"This is it." Kori remarked, "Just be careful and go slowly, there are a lot of steps."

The brother complied without a word, and they stepped down into the sunken chamber, following the series of steps and using the person in front of them as a guide. Noatak had Niska lead him by the arm, while Tarrlok clasped a hand on his brother's shoulder. Behind them, they felt the slab of earth shut up from above, sealing off the last gasp of air from the outside world.

It took another half hour of climbing down the stairs before they settled down onto a flat corridor. Around them, Noatak heard the whispers and footsteps of more guards as they questioned Kori, but after exchanging some sparse words, Noatak felt the guards slamming their feet onto the floor in salute, then earthbending another door down the hallway for them.

After what seemed like the fifth chamber in this underground base, the group finally halted, and to both the brothers' relief, the blindfolds came off.

Noatak and Tarrlok blinked as their eyes adjusted to their new surroundings. Gone were the thick forest trees of the surface, instead, they found themselves in an underground stone antechamber. Emerald banners of the Earth Kingdom hung from the walls, as if this were a royal audience chamber. Crystal lamps hung from the walls, bathing the chamber in a green light.

Before the brothers could say anything, the doorways into the chamber opened, and Noatak and Tarrlok widened their eyes in surprise as another procession walked in.

She was flanked by two guards who wore heavy plated armor, which gave a clanking sound with every step they took. The woman herself wore a similar grey armored vest, along with a black and green headband. Most noticeable was the fact that her eyes were milky white, and it dawned on Noatak that she was blind! But she still carried herself with a confidence and authority that he had rarely seen before, despite her disability.

"General Bei Fong."

Niska and the various freedom fighters bowed respectfully at her entrance, but Lin couldn't contain her excitement.

"Mom!" The little earthbender beamed as she ran up to the woman, who knelt down and embraced her with her strong arms.

"Baby girl!" The woman replied, overwhelming relief flowing through her voice as she held her tightly. "I was so worried."

"Aw mom...you're embarrassing me!" Lin flushed, not used to seeing her tough and no-nonsense mother acting like this.

"Don't _ever_ pull that stunt off again." The woman said seriously, before giving Lin a playful punch on the shoulder. "Ya got that?"

Lin nodded, before being shuffled behind Bei then stood up and gave a nod of approval at the group.

"So, who do I have to thank for this?"

"Me of course." Niska proclaimed proudly. "Well, these two also offered a hand." She pointed at the two water tribe brothers.

"You're _too_ kind." Noatak gave Niska a snarky glare. which slightly amused Toph.

"Thank you." Toph said fervently. "Thank you all."

"It was our pleasure General." Tarrlok gave a clumsy salute. "All in a day's work."

Noatak sighed inwardly, he couldn't believe his brother was so casual in front of such an obviously important figure.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, Lord Bei Fong." Noatak bowed formally and politely.

"_Lord_ Bei Fong?" Toph raised an eyebrow in amusement, then smirked, "I like this kid already, find me more like him Niska."

"Stuck up ones like him are a rare breed I'm afraid." Niska replied, enjoying Noatak's blushing face at this awkward moment.

After a few more chuckles around the group, General Bei Fong settled everyone done. She gave the Wolf Tail Warriors a smile.

"Please, call me Toph. After all, I owe you big time for saving my daughter."

"You owe us nothing." Noatak insisted, "It was Niska's plan after all."

"With some improvisation from Lin." Added the Kyoshi warrior.

"I think I'll be the better judge of that." Toph smirked, "But i gotta admit, I'm impressed with how you pulled it all off."

"Yeah!" The five year old replied. "We kicked Lily livered butt!"

"And that's all you'll be doing for now, at least not until you're at least twelve, understood young lady?" Toph reprimanded Lin gently.

"How about my new friend?" She gave Kodiak a friendly hug, the arctic wolf responded with a friendly lick to her face. "Can I keep him?"

"In your dreams Kiddo." Toph snapped, "Now hurry up and follow Smellerbee and Longshot home, I'll have a talk with you later."

Lin nodded meekly. "Okay mum."

"Good. Now scat. We'll talk later." Toph smiled, giving Lin a parting kiss before she was escorted out of the door.

Toph then turned towards Noatak and Tarrlok. "You two must have a lot of questions, and I'm all too happy to answer them. I'm still wondering why I have two Wolf Tails at my doorstep myself." She winked. "But for now, I suggest you make yourselves comfortable, and we can talk in the morning. I have some urgent business to attend to at the moment."

"That's good, we could use some extra supplies." Noatak replied, remembering just how short they were on provisions since abandoning Omashu.

Toph nodded, gesturing at Kori. "That's no problem. We've got a market in Gaoling. Not as big as it used to be, but it's enough. Kori can show you around town, can't you?" She looked at Kori with a gaze that brokered no arguments.

The young Earthbender bristled slightly at that, surprised that Toph would let these strangers roam so freely on the surface, but she knew better than to argue. "Of course General."

"Then it's set." Toph nodded. "I'll see you both bright and early in the morning."

* * *

"I'm sorry, but if we want to at least draw most of the suspicions away, you have to wear these." Kori said apologetically as she produced several pieces of brown and crimson colored clothing, dyed in the color of the Fire Nation.

Noatak took the clothes, holding them in his hand as though they were a smeared in tiger seal dung.

"It's only temporary." Kori pressed. "Gaoling is currently under Fire Nation control, the garrison here is mainly made up of colonials, so they won't be bothered to see a few water tribe immigrants anyhow."

"If you say so." Noatak felt almost greasy putting on the clothes of his enemy, but compared to what he and his family had gone through thus far, he reckoned this was a small sacrifice.

"These fit pretty well." Tarrlok noted wryly, enjoying his first fresh change of clothes in weeks. "Hey look Noatak! I'm a Fire Bender!" The younger brother chuckled as he make several mocking 'firebending' poses at his brother, but he decided against continuing when Noatak shot him a deathly glare. Another reminder that this was a serious mission.

"Sorry Brother." Tarrlok said softly.

"Let's just get this over with." Noatak grumbled, then stood up to see Kori waiting at the door. She had shed the black clothes of her resistance outfit, adopting instead a green civilian's outfit with a red sash and tunic, outlining the Fire Nation's colonial colors. Kodiak, for obvious reasons, had to stay underground and hidden.

"Just follow my lead. And whatever you do, don't say anything stupid. The guards here may be colonials, but they're raised to be loyal to the Fire Nation."

"Like you were?" Noatak inquired.

"Just like I was." Kori replied flatly. "But that was a long time ago." she smirked, "Come, just follow me, we'll get your supplies and be back in no time."

They emerged from one of the underground tunnels, surfacing at an alleyway deep within the city of Gaoling. To the brothers' surprise, the city itself wasn't as bustling as the metropolis they saw at Omashu. True it wasn't a small town either, but for every modern building or steel construction, there seemed to be a dilapidated or abandoned shop next to it. The city itself seemed torn between two extremes, between wealth and poverty, prosperity and ruins.

"This place was hit pretty hard by the war." Kori explained, "after the fall of Ba Sing Se."

The brothers nodded solemnly, following Kori's lead and melding into the crowd of Earth Kingdom citizens and Fire Nation colonials. Around every street corner, there seemed to be a platoon of Fire Nation soldiers around every corner, to keep the peace, and to watch out for any intruders.

What amazed Noatak most of all, was the fact that some of the Fire Nation Soldiers were bowing respectfully to Kori as she passed them, while giving condescending glares to both Tarrlok and Noatak as they passed.

_"Must be slaves from the South Pole. Wretched Water Tribals._"

Noatak clenched his fists tightly as he heard the remark, but then he remembered with Kori had warned him about, and he sighed, letting his temper run cool as he went back to his previous train of thought.

"How come they're letting you pass so easily?" Noatak asked, just as the guards let them through another checkpoint through into the marketplace.

"I'm the daughter of the Governor of Yu Dao." She explained with a smirk. "That gives me certain useful privileges."

"Whoa, a governor's daughter?" Tarrlok replied. "But...that doesn't-"

"What my Brother is trying to say." Noatak interrupted, "is how did a governor's daughter find herself aiding General Bei Fong?" Noatak asked, curious.

Kori sighed, keeping her composure as she kept navigating through the crowd for her companions.

"There was a time when I would have fought against General Bei Fong for the Fire Nation." She began. "But then I met someone from the Freedom Fighters who changed all that for me."

"A friend then?"

"A little more than that." Kori replied. "But yes. Even with the war over, when the Fire Nation had won, he still wanted to continue the fight with the Freedom fighters, I did my best to convince him to give up fighting so we could live together in harmony."

"And I'm guessing your plan didn't work?" Noatak offered, which would explain why she was joining them in the first place, risking her life and identity as the Governor's daughter.

"No..." Kori shook her head sadly. "I succeeded. He agreed to give up the fight and move into Yu Dao with me."

Noatak raised his eyebrow at that statement, not liking where this was going.

"It wasn't long before he was executed under the Phoenix Lord's decree," she gripped her fists tight as she recalled the memory. "that called for all those who had taken up arms against the Fire Nation to be arrested and tried as war criminals."

The brothers paused awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Kori meanwhile, was doing her best to maintain her composure, her eyes were blurring with tears that she wouldn't allow herself to shed. It was an old wound she didn't speak of much, and the guilt she felt from it was even worse, but she had resolved long ago to press on, moping over it was a luxury she couldn't afford, not with a war going on.

"I'm sorry." Noatak said uselessly, feeling a bit guilty for prying into her affairs.

"You don't need to be." Kori said softly. "All that's left now is to carry on his fight. And free our people."

"And we'll be there to help you." Tarrlok offered passionately. "After all, the Earth Kingdom's fight is the same as the Water Tribes'."

"I think I'm starting to see why Niska has such faith in you two." She smiled genuinely, "Come, let's get your gear and get you set up for tomorrow."

* * *

She was sweating. Fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins. This feeling was all too familiar

_**"Back so soon?"** The voice sent chills down her spine. Dripping...shivering. She was uncomfortable, cold... lost in the darkness with nothing but the scales and tendrils of the host. **  
**_

_"Why...why are you doing this?"_

******"_It's quite simple actually...If I wound him...I wound you._**_"_

_More screams. Protests, but then. Nothingness. She was floating...somewhere nice and relaxing...peaceful even._

**_"Enjoy the view"_**

_She felt the time weighing down on her bones, like an eternity...yet, she had seen everything...everywhere. _

_Suddenly, A woman was crying. Why?_ _No...she knew why_

**_"Please...please wake up."_**

_A strong hand settles on her crying shoulder. So much strength in it, yet, so much sadness at the same time. But there was another thing...resolve.**  
**_

_**"It's time. The invasion needs you."**  
_

* * *

Korra gasped, jerking awake as the Sato-Tank hit another bump along the dusty road, throwing up a plume of dust and dirt in its wake as it sped through the Earth Kingdom territories. Several trees were uprooted and smashed as the invincible war engine plowed its way across the landscape.

"Glad to see your driving hasn't changed Asami." Mako said as he gripped onto his seatbelt for dear life. On Ji and Hide were in similar straights, with Hide making liberal use of a barf bucket in the back, a worried On Ji did her best to comfort him, patting him gently on his shoulders.

"Why thanks Mako," Asami gave an innocent smile, "I've been working on it, glad you noticed."

"Everything okay back there Korra?" Asami gave a shout behind her. "I thought I heard someone hurl, but that could have just been Hide."

"All good Asami!" Korra gave a shout back. Meanwhile, she was groaning inwardly, rubbing her sore head. Just what in Agni's name was with all those weird dreams she was having lately? They were never an issue before, but suddenly, it seems, ever since that fire lashing she received, they just started flashing at her randomly, like some sick joke. She had heard how some prisoners had been driven crazy from the pain of the Fire Lashings, could the same have been happening to her?

_No._

She shook her head fiercely. It was just some random dreams. If she was going crazy, she would at least recognize whatever hallucination she was going crazy with. Hopefully, this will pass...somehow. Maybe once she captured the two water tribe prisoners and returned to the South Pole, things would return to normal as they were before. Maybe this was all just her brain's way of dealing with the stress while she was on her mission. It _had _to be.

The Sato-tank suddenly grinded to a halt, and Asami signaled the team to exit.

"We're here." She said proudly.

It only took a few moments for the team of five to emerge from the Sato Tank, gathering at the ridgeline where Asami was already standing, binoculars in hand.

"Everyone, I welcome you to the City of Omashu." Asami swept her arms towards the city dramatically, and the entire crew watched in silent awe as they took in the sight before them.

The whole mountain was a city, not just that, it was a city bristling with weapons. Campfires were spread out across the plain, denoting at least several thousand troops below the mountain range. The city itself was a massive construction, rimmed with siege towers and the black steel factories of the former Fire Nation colonies. Soot and ash rained from the smokestacks, reminding Korra a lot of the Fire Nation factories back home.

Why the two water tribe refugees would run to here was another question entirely, but Korra figured she would have to start here if she wanted the answers.

* * *

"I'll speak to him. Alone." Toph said seriously.

The metalbending guards nodded quietly, parting the metallic doors of the high security cell room to let the general pass. It was a precaution she had taken to isolate their new guest from the others, lest any misunderstandings were to happen

"You sure about this Toph?" Smellerbee asked, not quite trusting of this Blue Spirit character. She had heard tales of how he had single handedly saved the avatar and almost took down the Fire Nation, but it was obvious that the man was hiding a secret, that alone made him untrustworthy, but Toph seemed to trust him enough.

In any case, Blue Spirit or not, if he tried anything funny, Toph Bei Fong could handle herself easy enough in any fight. Especially in a cell made entirely out of metal.

"Dead sure." Toph nodded re-assuringly, and Smellerbee knew better than to argue.

"Alright, but if he tries anything, you know what to do to let us know."

"I will." Toph smirked. "Although I doubt he's dumb enough to do anything _that_ stupid."

"Just be careful." Smellerbee nodded, letting Toph pass and into the metallic cell room.

Inside, hidden from the prying eyes of the outside world (and Toph made sure that only her most trusted men were guarding the cell, which was only accessed via metal bending.)

There was a simple table in the middle of the room, with two chairs opposite one another. Sitting in one of the chairs, his wrists shackled down onto the table, was her guest of the hour. The Blue Spirit.

"I'm flattered that you're taking so many precautions with me." Zuko said, "Considering it is the great Toph Bei Fong I'm dealing with."

"Cut the garbage Zuko." Toph said impatiently. "This was the only way we could safely talk. If the Earth Kingdom resistance members knew who you were, I'm not sure even I could hold them back from attacking you." She sighed, sitting down on the chair. She then unshackled Zuko's wrists from the table with a simple flick of her fingers

"Now, you've obviously come a long way from the Fire Nation or whatever rock you've been hiding under to find me. And I know that you're not dumb enough to waste my time."

"So tell me." She leaned in close to face Zuko, her blind eyes glaring at him intently. "Why exactly are you here?"

"To deliver a message." Zuko began solemnly, "A simple one actually, and one that I know you've been waiting to hear for some time." Toph's nodded as she gauged the sincerity of Zuko's words, excitement and fear building up in her as she listened to his words.

"The Avatar has returned."

* * *

***For those who haven't read The Promise, i strongly urge you to do so. Kori Morishita is one of my favourite characters from the comics, she's the daughter of the governor of Yu Dao, and a major character in that arc.**

**Next chapter: The Southern Earth Kingdom shores up its secret weapon. Korra and the Krew investigate.**

* * *

To answer some questions:

Concerning the Blue Spirit : The Fire Nation does not know his identity, only Azula, Ruon-Jian and Chan do, and this will be elaborated on more later :) Zuko still needs to hide his face from the Earth Kingdom though, considering his past treachery at Ba Sing Se. It doesn't hurt to have them know he can bend fire, the Fire Nation pretty much knows the Blue Spirit is a Fire Bender

* * *

To those who I can't respond via PM:

Fun: Um...thanks? ^_^


	20. The Prodigal Son

**Chapter 20: The Prodigal Son  
**

* * *

The throne room of the Fire Nation Capital was a place of grandeur and power, trimmed with gold ornaments and columns, it's walls decorated with the crimson banners and markings of the Fire Nation's greatest Fire Lords and victories. Beside the tapestries of previous achievements were the shattered flags and wolf banners of the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe, forever a reminder of the glory that had been won in the past hundred years. To an everyday commoner, walking into these hallowed halls was an intimidating experience in itself.

But on this day, Prince Zhenjin had a reason to be proud. His crimson armor shining with the red scales of the dragon he had slain not so long ago, and the army and nation had celebrated the achievement for days on end. The officers and soldiers of the capital held a feast, while tales of the prince's achievements rang through the air, along with tales of Azula's glorious conquest of the Earth Kingdom and Ozai's destruction of the water tribes. Songs and poems were declaimed from hundreds of throats until the poets and singers went became hoarse in the early morning.

But with celebrations done, there was still much work to be done, and Zhenjin walked solemnly towards the centre of the throne room, with his trusted mentor Ruon-Jian behind him in his heavy armor.

As they stopped, the dais behind the throne suddenly ignited with blue flames, bathing the room in its eerie light, and Zhenjin knelt down, bowing on the floor with Ruon-Jian as faced the most powerful person in the world.

Ruon-Jian smiled at the memory as he looked up at her, the years had been kind to Azula, and she was as beautiful as she was deadly, just like the time he first saw her. Even in the regal robes of a Fire Lord, she held a presence that would make even the hardest soldiers balk at a glance, and a cold calculating cunning to match her legendary ferocity. Even he felt himself shivering in a bit of fear as he approached her, and why shouldn't he? This was the woman who had overthrown a nation singlehandedly and who took down the all powerful Avatar in single combat after all.

When he was tasked to train her one and only son so many years ago, Ruon-Jian couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for the boy, to have such a woman as a mother. Yet, the young prince had surprised him in many ways, rising up to every challenge he had thrown at him.

Perhaps Azula was right; the divine right to rule _was_ something that you had to be born with.

"Zhenjin."

Zhenjin brushed away the small chill in his spine as he knelt, hearing his mother's voice for the first time in what seemed like years. It sounded unexpectedly gentle.

"You have been away for a while. And I can see that many of the trials you've faced have changed you. Hardened you..." Zhenjin felt the critical eyes prying at him, glancing for one hint of weakness or hesitation, both dangerous qualities to have when facing Azula, but Zhenjin willed his face into a stone mask as he rose to face his mother. He tensed up, as if he were expecting another verbal lashing that he had been used to so many times before.

But instead, she did something that took him completely off guard and, because of that, seemed even far more terrifying.

She smiled.

"Welcome home, my son."

Zhenjin let out a sigh as he stood up, and to his surprise, Azula was already stepping towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I've always said that a person is measured by his deeds, not his words. Ruon-jian has told me a great deal of your conquests of the Sun Warriors and of the last dragon. You have done well."

The last words sent shivers of surprise and emotion through the prince. Being praised by Azula was terrifying and liberating at the same time, and to be honest, something he wasn't used to.

"Now, you have one more task, and you will assume your rightful place as my heir and successor."

"I thought," Zhenjin replied with a measured, icy tone. "That I had shown enough already."

"That's for me to decide." Azula replied. "There's still much for you to learn in this world, you will not ascend until I say so." She spoke it with a finality that brokered no discussion.

Zhenjin clenched his fist tight, and that didn't escape Azula's notice. There was fire in this one. Good, that meant he had potential.

"I have a patience for many things Zhenjin, but disobedience, is not one of them." Azula said with a tone of warning.

After what seemed like an eternity, the young prince nodded. Of course, what did he expect? The throne to be casually tossed into his lap like a gift?

"I will do as you say, my lord." Zhenjin bowed.

Satisfied, Azula nodded.

"Good. I'm asuming Ruon-Jian has told you about the Blue Spirit."

"Yes, he has." Zhenjin replied seriously. Everyone in the Fire Nation knew of the Blue Spirit and his infamous attempts to sabotage the Fire Nation in the last war. Hunting him down would be as glorious as slaying his first dragon.

At that, Ruon-Jian gave Azula a concerned glance. "Are you sure this is wise Azula? That man is dangerous, possibly more dangerous than anything the Prince has fought against."

"More dangerous than a dragon?" Zhenjin scoffed. "I can handle him."

Azula nodded. "It's as Zhenjin says. He's earned this mission, especially after the last victory with you."

Knowing better than to directly contradict Azula, Ruon-Jian bowed.

"It will be as you say my lord. Last reports had the Blue Spirit in the Southern Earth Kingdom. Firmly in enemy territory."

That mattered little to the Phoenix Lord, she scoffed at the mere mention of those pathetic remnants. As far as she was concerned, everything under the sun was _her_ territory.

"Ruon-Jian, I need you to take the Crimson Armada and destroy what's left of this pathetic resistance in Omashu. It's about time we remove that thorn in our side."

"Of course." The General nodded in agreement.

"Chan is already in the area, so his men can provide assistance as well."

Ruon-Jian smirked at the mere mention of his friend, it would be good to see the old sea dog again.

"We won't fail you my Lord." The General bowed, and Zhenjin followed suit, his face an unreadable mask.

"See that you don't." Azula nodded, then she turned to her son. "Now go Zhenjin, go forth and earn your inheritance."

"I will be back mother, and I will show to you that I am worthy." The Prince said fiercely, turning with the general before proceeding out of the grand chambers.

Azula watched calmly from the throne as the two figures disappeared into the distance, waiting for the right moment before she spoke again.

"Ty Lee."

From the shadows behind the throne room, a dark silhouette of a woman appeared. She as the same age as Azula, but was dressed in the dark red robes, while a hood covered her face.

"Yes Azula?" Came the reply from the shadows. For over a decade, she had been Azula's personal bodyguard, as well as the leader of the Elite Sentinels.

"Keep a watchful eye over him," She instructed Ty Lee. "But not so close that he notices your presence. Ensure nothing interferes with his task. He tends to act like his father at times, something I don't like."

"You can count on me Azula." Ty Lee replied.

"And if anything does happen, I know I can trust you to do what is in my best interests? Right?" Azula said nonchalantly.

"Of course." Ty Lee bowed. "You are my friend after all."

"Excellent. Just what I like to hear." Azula gave a chilling smile. It always paid to have a backup card in play, after all.

* * *

General Giam watched in contemplation as his troops went to work for the latest trials. Spread before him on a vast open field, was a line of turrets, similar to the ones that the Fire Nation used on their battleships, but in this case, they were all lowered onto a wheeled gun carriage. There were at least a dozen of them, all aimed at an abandoned shack at the far end of the field.

At his side meanwhile, was a armored soldier who bowed his head solemnly, knowing he had failed in his previous task.

"I'm sorry General." Lee said, keeping his gaze on the ground. "But the Water Tribe fugitives escape with Bei Fong. My men were ambushed by her Freedom Fighters."

"Ah yes." Giam stroked his chin calmly as he heard the report. "Her ragtag group of rebels and criminals."

"I'll have my men refitted and we'll try again for them." Lee pressed. "I'm certain they couldn't have gone far-"

"No matter," Giam shook his head, "While Bei Fong's metal benders would have been a boon to our cause, they were not a necessity. The plan will still go forward as scheduled. Isn't that right, Teo?"

The General looked to his side, where one of the Earth Kingdom scientists sat, or at least it looked like he sat to Lee. Upon closer inspection, Lee saw that the young man was paralyzed from his waist down, using a custom wheelchair instead. He had long discarded his favourite glider from his childhood for a more practical form of transportation.

Teo nodded towards Giam as he directed the rest of the Earth Kingdom technicians to their cannons.

"While it would have been preferable to use metal benders to load and fire our metal shells." Teo began, "We have other means of doing so."

As if on cue, the operators of the cannon, all Earthbenders, began levitating solid concrete rounds into the breech of the cannon, loading it and aiming it at the shack.

"It's a weapon designed primarily to address the lack of options for the Earth Kingdom Military," Teo explained as Lee watched with interest. "It works similar to the concept of the Fire Nation cannon, where you have up to four firebenders channeling their flames down the barrel of a gun to multiply their strength."

The first earthbender loaded the shell into the cannon, while the remaining three were on standby as they swiveled the gun towards its target.

"The cannon takes the combined bending of our earthbenders working together to accelerate the projectile." Teo continued as the four earthbenders simultaneously assumed their stances, focusing their bending at the breech of the cannon.

"This is just what we need to give us the edge on the Fire Nation's tanks and weapons." Teo concluded. "And win the war."

The four earthbenders punched the breech of the rifle, and in that instant, the shell exploded out of the cannon with such force that it produced a shockwave. Within a second, the shack that was standing suddenly vanished into a burst of dust and smoke. General Giam watched, impressed and awed at the destructive force.

"This is not just limited to solid concrete projectiles." Teo explained. "We, too, have produced a line of specialized shells, lined with explosive powder."

Another cannon, operated by more soldiers, fired. The explosive projectile destroyed a targeted brick wall in an explosion of flame and shrapnel.

"Even a well trained earthbender will have trouble stopping a projectile that is multiplied by the force of over four earthbenders." Teo said as a matter-of-factly.

Giam's eyes lit up at the prospect of adding this to his arsenal. "This will go well with our Goliath Fortress. How soon are we to completion?"

"I can have the cannons installed within the week General." Teo said confidently.

"Excellent. Once we've deployed it, the Fire Nation will never know what hit them." The General said with relish.

"You've done well, Teo." Giam patted the young man on the back. "Your father would be proud to see you today." Giam genuinely meant it, despite his initial doubts on the young man, he was turning out to be as brilliant an inventor as his father, the Mechanist, was. Now, the Earth Kingdom would finally have the technological edge over the Fire Nation, from the son of the inventor who gave the Fire Lord his weapons in the first place. It was an ironic and fitting justice.

"It's not about him anymore." Teo shook his head somewhat sadly, "It's about doing what we need to do to kick the Fire Nation out, and redeem my family's mistakes."

"I'll be the better judge of that my young man." Giam replied, then turned towards Lee.

"Teo is like yourself Lee." Giam introduced his top inventor to the captain. "Someone who has lost too much in this war against the Fire Nation, and will do anything it takes to defeat them."

"I know what it feels like." Lee said seriously, "To have your family taken away from you. You have my sympathies."

Teo nodded, taking the gesture in stride. "My father was a good man. A genius and a great inventor. And the Fire Nation used him, threatened him and me if he didn't deliver them their inventions. The avatar saved us once, but that was a long time ago. After he was killed...they captured him again."

He gripped his fist tightly at the memory. "My father spent the rest of his life making weapons for them to keep me safe. In the end, I was as much of a puppet as he was."

"It's not as simple as that." Lee replied sympathetically. "He was only trying to protect you. No one else would have acted any differently."

"No." Teo said fiercely. "I should have... I should have done something... It's my fault that my father had created those war machines for the Fire Nation. Now, it is time to clear my father's name, and my own."**  
**

"And you are doing your part Teo." General Giam stepped in, reassuring the young inventor. "Just as Lee is."

He nodded in confidence to the two young men.

"Regardless of what happened in the past, you are both right in one thing, soon, the sacrifices we have made to destroy the Fire nation will be realized. And the Earth Kingdom, and all our fallen loved ones will be avenged. This, I swear to you."

* * *

Korra felt revulsion, mixed in with a quiet rage as she and her friends looked on at the Earth Kingdom base below them. After skimming the perimeter of Omashu, the group wandered to an outlying refugee camp, hoping for a lead on the two Water Tribe escapees, but what they found instead was even more revulsing.

It was a slave camp.

Refugees from all walks of life, Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, they were being set on working in the mines. Wheeling carts laden with ores and minerals out of the ground, while others were herded into several buildings which Korra could only guess were foundries or steel mills, with giant billowing smokestacks. Guarding the line of prisoners, were Earth Kingdom soldiers in their heavy green lacquered armor.

By the group's count, there must have been at least a few dozen of them in this camp, guarded by several platoons of Earth Guards.

"How could anyone do this?" On Ji asked, horrified at the sight, while Hide and Mako kept a steady eye behind the group, covering them lest any Earth Kingdom patrols.

"This is more common than you think," Asami remarked, careful with her words, knowing Korra's past experience with this delicate subject. "General Giam, the warlord around here, is known for using Fire Nation colonists as slave labour. This must be one of his smaller camps outside the city. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a network of mines and tunnels with even more prisoners and slaves."

The sight of seeing the men, women and children being herded around like common animals struck a chord somewhere inside Korra's soul, and she felt a slow rage building up at the sight. The scars were still fresh on her back, as were the other scars that were dug deep within her soul. As much as she tried to ignore it, the voices from the past echoed in her head as well.

_"Remember your place water tribe. Beneath my boot!"_

_"Please daddy...don't fight anymore. Don't leave. People get hurt out there."_

Korra clenched her fists so tight, her arm started shaking.

Oblivious to it, Mako gave a simple assessment of the situation. "There's nothing we can do for them right now." He said with regret. "We'll come back here and see what we can do after we get your prisoners."

**_"No."_**

The four other members of Korra's squad turned to her in surprise, not expecting that answer at all. Weren't the prisoner's the top priority for her? But the glare in Korra's eyes told them everything.

"We have to save them." Korra said fiercely.

"Korra, are you crazy?" Mako replied, his instincts firmly arguing against this foolhardy plan. "It's us against a whole army of them?"

"Not if we do this quickly and take out those guards first, it won't be a whole army." Korra snapped back. "Besides, you told me that you wanted to show me how the Fire Nation is capable of doing good things for the world? Now's your chance."

Mako gritted his teeth as he recalled those words. In truth, he hated the sight of the slave camp just as much as Korra, but that feeling was at war with the mission they had at hand. If they were to lose those water tribe prisoners, then what about his promise to Senna, not to mention Korra...

"Korra's right."

Mako blinked in surprise as he looked towards Asami, the Sentinel calmly nodding in agreement.

"Freeing the slaves will deprive the enemy of a precious resource." Asami explained. "More importantly, these colonists are Fire Nation subjects. They are an extension of the Phoenix Lord's Will. Any attack on them is the same as attacking Phoenix Lord Azula. And that, cannot be tolerated." She unsheathed her black sword for emphasis, it's steel ringing against the metal sheath.

"Besides, we may find some useful leads on our escaped prisoner in the camp." The Sentinel concluded.

"Sounds like we're in as well." Hide grunted in acknowledgment, while On Ji simply gave a determined nod.

Mako sighed inwardly, knowing where this was going. He also nodded towards Korra.

"Alright, let's do this."

* * *

**Next up: Korra and the Fire Nation ...do good deeds? D=**

**Sorry everyone, RL was getting busy this month, not to mention some writers block. I will update as often as I can though!  
**

**To those i can't reply via PM**

**Gogglegirl:** War does suck**, **unfortunately, you'll see more characters like Kori as we explore this AU

**Alexandra:** And thank you for reading/reviewing :) glad you're liking it!


	21. Signal to Strike

**Chapter 21: Signal To Strike  
**

* * *

The gray clouds parted slowly as the daylight gave way to night, with a faint orange glow in the sky, eminating from the distant city of Omashu. More close to home, however, were the small lanterns of the small slave camp on the outskirts of the fortified city. Korra lay prone with Hide as she scanned the forward guard posts. They were both in the heavy black and crimson combat armor of the southern raiders, and they blended in almost seemlessly with the darkened hills.

Korra almost wished they didn't have to lug the heavy armor around, the Earth Kingdom soldiers would have had to have the eyes of a hawk to spot them on the hill, let alone conjure up any rocks to hit them accurately, but Asami didn't want to take the chance. Korra and Hide were to be the support for the initial attack, and they had to stand by and be ready.

She nodded warily to Hide as she scanned that the coast was clear, waving for him to move forward, closer to the work camp. They were so close, Korra swore she could smell the waft of the cooking fires as the soldiers sat down to eat their evening meal, and she fought back the growl in her stomach with a fierce determination. There was still much work to be done.

It was a still a tricky situation for her though, considering Hide was once one of Sergeant Rho's pet students, the same group that had tormented her for most of her teenage years while she was training in the prison camps. On Ji had sworn on Hide's behalf that it was all in the past, but that still didn't change the awkward tension that seemed to fill the air whenever they were together.

_Why the heck did Asami pair me up with him? And not Mako... _She grumbled softly.

Sensing the tension in her movements, Hide turned around. "You alright Korra?" He asked,

Korra blinked in surprise from the tone of concern in his voice. Surprised probably that he showed something other than the serious soldier act that he seemed to sport the entire expedition.

"It's nothing, Hide." Korra brushed off his query, "Let's just keep moving."

Hide sighed inwardly as he caught the animosity in her voice. True, Korra had thawed slightly towards him since joining up with their platoon, but there was still this mistrust in the air between them.

Normally he wouldn't have given a fig about it, but On Ji once again, was very persuasive.

* * *

_"Why don't you make friends with her?" On Ji said with reproach as they sat at the rear of the Satotank.  
_

_"I just have to work with her." Hide replied with a grunt. "I don't have to have her like me."_

_"Like it or not Hide, we're a team. I'd feel better if you got to know Korra a little bit more." She pressed her argument a bit more. "Besides, it's not healthy to have our team mates distrust each other.  
_

_"It's fine."_

_"No it's not. I can literally feel like you guys are one word away from tearing at each other. Can you at least promise me you'll try."  
_

_"She'll like it as much as I would." Hide grunted._

_"Do it for me...okay?" she asked, grasping his forearm, her eyes giving that adorable, yet pleading look._

_Hide hated it when she gave him THAT look._

* * *

"Look...I get it. You don't like me. If it makes you feel any better, I didn't exactly join in when Rho had you in his twisted games." He blurted out roughly, and _very_ clumsily.

"No," Korra replied with icy measure. "You just stood by and watched."

On Ji would have probably slapped him at that point, Hide thought. But still, anything was better than nothing.

"Like I said...I didn't know any better. Okay?" The Southern Raider sighed, he couldn't believe he was doing this, and in the middle of a mission to boot! On Ji did have a way of pushing his buttons though. At least he could tell her that he tried.

Korra raised an eyebrow skeptically, she was beginning to have an idea what was going on. "On Ji put you up to this, didn't she?"

To her surprise, Hide simply smirked. "To be honest, she's been badgering me about this since you joined our unit. I normally wouldn't care about these kinds of issues, but you're part of my team now. We're on the same side. We may as well work out our issues."

"Well, THAT ain't happening in a five minute conversation." Korra smiled sarcastically.

"Agreed. Can you just tell On Ji I tried? It'll save us both the trouble." Hide replied with an equal smirk, at least the hostility in her tone had softened somewhat.

Korra nodded softly.

"For what it's worth though, all those things that Rho had said to us about you Colonials-" Hide continued. "Well...he was wrong... **I** was wrong in my opinion of you Water Tribe."

Korra stiffened as she heard the words, pausing in front of Hide.

"If we're working together Hide, there's a few ground rules we gotta clear up first."

"What?" Hide asked curiously.

"You can drop the 'water tribe' label for starters."

* * *

Meanwhile, far back at their base camp, Mako leaned back against the metal entrance to the Sato-tank, the huge hulking monstrosity of a machine that would play a role in Asami's plan to attack the Earth Kingdom Camp. They were to wait for her signal, and then get ready to back up Korra and Hide as well as the third wave. It was a decent plan, but the only thing On Ji couldn't stand was the antagonizing wait.

"Didn't think we'd be the ones left behind huh?" On Ji complained as she kicked the tread of the Sato-tank in annoyance.

Mako however, seemed lost in thought, leaning tensely against the driver hatch of the tank.

It was that 'serious commander' persona of Mako again, and On Ji knew it too well. But something seemed different this time. Maybe he was afraid of the mission failing? But then he wouldn't be agreeing to it. Maybe it was something else...

"What's up Mako? You don't usually brood until after a mission." On Ji asked teasingly.

"Huh?" Mako shook his head. "It's nothing On Ji, just thinking."

A mischievous grin flashed on On Ji's face as she approached Mako.

"Oh I see Mako...so, you're thinking about someone? Someone you like maybe? Hmm?"

"Wait, What?!" That snapped Mako out of his thoughts. "What makes you think that?"

"You're very bad at hiding these things Mako," On Ji grinned. "Besides, it's written all over your face."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Mako said flatly.

"Maybe I don't..." On Ji smiled. "But for the record. I think Korra's a good match for you, I mean, you both got the brooding pissed off look down."

Mako glared at On Ji ."She's not that kind of person." He snapped

"Well then." On Ji replied with a grin, enjoying that look of realization on Mako's face as he realized that he took the bait. "Now that we've established that you like her."

"It's...not that simple." Mako was quick to correct her.

"It never is with you is it?"

"Guess I'm that kind of person." He chuckled a bit at himself.

"Ah yes. Always captain serious. Right." On Ji said teasingly.

Mako didn't respond. Truthfully, he knew he was overthinking the situation, but so much had happened the past week he couldn't help but think of it. Not just his own feelings about Korra, but he still had absolutely no idea whether or not his plan to have Asami accept her in the Sentinels would even work. What if they failed to capture the water tribe prisoners? Then what?

Sensing his inner conflict, On Ji offered her own thoughts. "I think it's a good thing."

"What?" Mako asked.

"That you're her friend. Korra's never seen the world before, not outside the prison at least. Maybe she needs someone to guide her, to show her to to live in it. Someone like you."

"Heh. Personally, I think we've seen a bit too much of this world, it would be nice to see my home town Yu Dao again."

"Why don't you show Korra?" On Ji smiled. "I think she'll like it."

"Never took her for a city girl. But maybe that's not such a bad idea after all." Mako smiled at the thought, he wondered whether Korra would even know what a Sato-mobile was.

"Then afterwards." On Ji clasped her hands in excitement. "You and Korra can go on a double date with me and Hide."

"Sounds like you've been planning at this for quite sometime..." Mako said sarcastically.

"Well..." On Ji flushed somewhat.

"You know, as your sergeant, I feel like I should tell you that you shouldn't be trying to hook people up on the job."

"Normally I wouldn't." On Ji smirked, "But I help those who need it."

"Hey!" Mako blurted, "What's that supposed to mean-"

Before either of them could respond, another sound emitted from the valley floor. A dull thump, as if someone were beating a carpet in the far off distance. But soon, there was another thump. Then another, and finally, it all merged into a continual low rumble that echoed throughout the valley.

Mako could tell the sounds of distant Firebending anywhere, and he looked towards the Earth Kingdom slave camp, where A small column of smoke began rising against the darkening sky.

"Looks like Asami and Korra have already started." On Ji noted uneasily.

"Alright," Mako nodded, climbing into the cockpit of the Sato-tank. "Then let's go. We don't want to be late to the show."

* * *

It wasn't easy slipping to the other side of the Earth Kingdom camp, as there must have been at least forty soldiers guarding the perimeter. But Asami Sato wasn't the second-in-command of the Sentinels for nothing. Taking to the trees and brushes, she slipped through most of the ragged patrols that the Earth soldiers had set up. Using her electro-chi blocker gloves to disable the few soldiers who were alert enough to sense her presence.

It was a simple enough plan. She would sneak to the other side of the encampment and distract them there, while Korra and Hide approached from the rear. If they were lucky, they would be able to defeat the small Earth Kingdom detachment, free the slaves, and escape in the Sato-tank before any more reinforcements came through.

Now, with Korra and Hide in position, Asami knew it was time to strike. A chi blocker glove in one hand, she broke cover at the front entrance of the camp and ran straight towards the main gate.

A pair of guards stood watch, and at first they could hardly believe their eyes. A fully armed Sentinel of the Fire Nation on their doorstep?! Charging straight at them?

Asami smirked underneath her faceplate as she charged. These amateurs were _history._ The first guard, recovering his senses, brandished a spear and lunged at her in panic, but to a seasoned veteran like Asami, the attack may as well have been in slow motion. Pulling back, she ducked under the spear thrust, while drawing the handle of her sword and into the gut of the soldier. The guard grunted in pain as he was knocked back, a gloved hand landing on his chest and delivering a surge of blue electricity through his body. It was done with such swiftness and flow that it looked like Asami had done it all in one motion.

Without even batting an eyelash, Asami turned to face the second guard, unsheathing her black blade and with a single flash of steel, cut the spear into two, before moving on to disarming it's owner. The stunned guard barely had time to contemplate why the ground was rushing so fast to meet his face.

By this time, the general alarm had sounded in the camp, and more guards were rushing out to their posts. Aside from the usual non-bending spear wielding guards in green armor, several Earth Benders were also present, these heavy guards sported dual war hammers, probably heavy enough to split her sword into two. The slaves meanwhile, watched the battle warily from the inside of their cages, many unable to contain their disbelief that a Sentinel of Phoenix Lord Azula was in their presence, and _helping_ them as well.

Asami paused in the centre of the camp as the troops filed out. There must have been at least three dozen of them. The spear wielding non-benders could be ignored, she reasoned, they were not a threat. But the Earth Benders would present a problem.

Still this was a garrison, not a seasoned regular Earth army camp. The slaver guards were probably more used to fighting off bandits and raiders rather than the elite of the Fire Nation.

One of the guards though, obviously didn't share that opinion, and he stepped forward, drawing two war hammers and adopting a firm bending stance. Asami simply snickered, giving her fingers an experimental twitch that produced an eerie blue electric shock for effect. Several of the Earth soldiers backed away subconsciously, fully knowing the deadly effects of her touch.

The captain gave an arrogant smirk as his men assembled around Asami in a perfect circle, spears and weapons pointed inward. The Fire Nation's arrogance knew no bounds, he thought. Today, he was going to have a rare opportunity to address and humble one of Azula's best soldiers. And he relished it.

"I don't know what a pampered lapdog such as yourself is doing all the way here, so far from her master." The captain spat the words harshly. "But tell you what. Surrender now, and I'll guarantee you'll walk out of this alive." He gave a confident grin.

"Funny." Asami replied confidently. "I was going to offer the same to you."

"HA!" The captain laughed. "You're good missy. But I doubt you can take all of us."

"You never know until you try." She drew her sword, leveling it straight at the slaver captain.

Sensing that there was no point in talking any further, the captain gave a dark smile, before adopting his own bending stance. "I'm going to enjoy taking my time with you girl."

Asami met his grin with a sly one of her own. "Believe me, the pleasure's all mine."

The captain smirked, slamming his hammer into the ground to summon up two blocks of stone, but before he could do anything, Asami stepped forward.

"_NOW!" _she screamed.

The Captain's face contorted in pain as he was abruptly engulfed by a surge of flame, knocking him forward and down on the ground, his back still smoking. The other soldiers' eyes widened in shock as they saw their chief taken down in a split second, and with an attack from behind?!

Asami however, took advantage of the momentary lapse in the soldiers' attentions and rushed, kicking a surprised guard in the stomach while disabling an Earth bender with several precise strikes along the man's spine. The two soldiers barely had time to go down before more bursts of flame emerged from the enemy's rear, knocking more Earth Benders down onto the ground.

It was a simple enough plan, divert the guard's attention with a frontal assault while Korra and Hide threw the camp into confusion from behind the scenes. At that instant, several more pillars of flame burst throughout the camp. Supply tents, storage carts and soldiers' lodgings were on fire, illuminating the camp in a bright orange against the backdrop of the night sky.

The slaves in the pens screamed as they saw the flames, but Asami already saw the two armored Southern Raiders emerge from the brush, keeping the fires at bay with their bending while they spread the chaos and confusion around the camp.

The battle had now begun in earnest.

* * *

Korra couldn't help but feel empowered as she cut her way through the panicked Earth Kingdom slavers. They hadn't done anything to her to be sure, but it was an easy enough exercise to pretend that each one of them was like the Warden or Sergeant Rho. In her mind, the things they did to their slaves was no different than how that man had treated his prisoners.

An Earth Bending guard was the first to strike, summoning a block of Earth at his feet, he sent it straight at Korra. Without even bothering to dodge it, she blasted it with a surge of flame, shattering it into a million pieces of dust and giving her the screen to rush forward. Two benders were rushing her at that moment, and she dove onto the ground, sliding just in time to miss a massive boulder that was aimed to take her head off. A quick sweeping kick sent the man falling onto his back, and a quick knee to his face ensured that he stayed down.

She couldn't help but give a small smile as she felt satisfying crunch of the man's helmet against her knee armor, along with the terrified look of the other Earth Bender. She was born to fight, and she was born to win, she thought. Although that brief moment exhilaration also came with a small bit of shame at the fact she was enjoying it. What would her mom think of her?

"Korra!" Hide yelled, snapping her out of her day dream. "A little help?"

She turned, and saw that Hide was pinned against the wall by an Earth soldier, both men locked in a struggle as they tried to gain possession of a spear that was being gripped between them.

Without another word, Korra rushed to his aid, sending the Earth Soldier flying into a wooden cart with a fire blast, shattering it in a cloud of dust and splinters.

"Thanks." Hide said, rubbing his sore neck wearily.

"No time for that." Korra replied sternly. "Free the slaves, I'll meet up with you after I help Asami."

"You got it." Hide nodded, running off to the direction of the slave pens. While Korra ran towards the direction of the fighting.

* * *

Korra turned back to check on Hide as she ran, and relief ran through her as she saw that the Fire Nation raider had managed to break the locks on the slave pens, letting the slaves and their families out of the iron cages and harm's way. That was good, there was no need to hold back now.

The ground beneath her started to sift, and Korra instinctively rolled forward, avoiding a chain of rock spikes that were summoned from the earth to impede her path. Three Earth Benders were to her right, and a mischievous smirk appeared on her face as she shot a wave of flame at the ground beneath the soldiers, burning their exposed feet and sending them tumbling backwards in pain.

It took only a few seconds to reach Asami, who was already in the process of shocking another Earth Bender into submission, grabbing the soldier on the shoulder and using him as a prop to flip over him, landing a kick on the face of another guard behind him.

"You're late, as usual." Asami said rather non-chalantly, casually cutting the spear of another Earth guard into two.

"I'd figure Little Miss Sentinel wanted to get some of her rust worked off. That's all." Korra said with an equally mischievous grin, firing more fire blasts at the Earth soldiers with her back to Asami.

"Heh, well that gesture is appreciated." Asami finished off the last Earth soldier, chi-blocking his arms before doing a sweeping kick to his legs. The poor man barely had time to comprehend he was on the ground before he received an electroshock for his troubles.

The remaining guards, having witnessed the two women take down most of their comrades with ridiculous ease, simply did the only thing they could do.

They turned tail and ran, leaving the pair alone and triumphant in the burning ruins of the slave camp.

"Well...that was easy enough." Asami remarked with disappointment as she sheathed her sword.

"Maybe too easy?" Korra said warily.

"Well," Asami remarked, casually wiping of the dust on her armored kimono. "It's not like we're fighting the cream of the crop here are we?"

"Still...something's no right." Korra scanned her eyes on the horizon, wondering if there was something else that she was missing. From her experience, slave camps were one of the most heavily protected installations at the prison, seeing as the Warden didn't want to risk losing his most precious investment.

Then she felt it. A presence almost. Something faint...

"You feel that?" Korra backed herself into a bending stance, readying for whatever was coming.

"Feel what-" Asami began, but cut herself off as she began to notice it as well. The slight displacement of the pebbles and rocks on the ground, along with the sand around them, rippling into little waves as though it were a small point. At that moment, both of them felt it.

The ground was shaking.

"Asami, WATCH OUT!"

Before she realized it, Korra was jumping straight at her, hugging her tightly as she pushed her onto the ground.

It was just in time, for the spot where Asami was standing it simply exploded into a cloud of dust and grime, crumbling inwards as something massive began emerging from underneath the surface.

Asami meanwhile, couldn't see through the dust, coughing to clear her throat from all the soot and rubble.

"How...how did you know that was coming?"

Korra herself, wasn't quite sure. "I...just did."

"Well, remind me to thank you later, after we deal with this."

"And what exactly...is this?" Korra said warily, gazing into the dust cloud where a massive ominous shadow had emerged from the ground. She didn't have to guess whether if it was friendly or not.

It didn't take long before the dust settled, revealing to the girls their mysterious attacker. It was no bender, instead, it resembled a long iron plated caterpillar, with treads made of plates of earth strung together by metal wire. It must have been at least twice the length and size of a Fire Nation Tundra tank, with a thick armor casing that made it look invulnerable to any attack they could muster.

"It's an Earth Bending tank!" Asami said, her eyes wide in shock. She had not anticipated a small camp garrison to come equipped with these...this would make things interesting.

"Okay..." Korra replied, gauging the rather imposing metal contraption with a mixture of awe and fear. "What are we going to do?"

"They are usually run by a team of Earth Benders. These things can't attack unless it's by an Earth bending disc or rock, wait for the compartment to open and they'll be vulnerable. Hit the person inside." She explained with the experience of a veteran who had dealt with these before.

"It won't be easy, but we can manage it." Asami said grimly, the cockiness in her voice now replaced with an icy efficiency. "We have to beat this thing before more show up."

"Well, if the only way it can attack us is by using those discs." Korra cracked her knuckles, beginning to feel a bit more confident about their odds. "Then this shouldn't be an issue."

Asami nodded, but then, something curious happened as the caterpillar tank curled around so that it's side faced the two girls. Before they could even move, several side hatches on the iron plated monstrosity opened up, with several long steel cannons emerging from the tank, all aimed directly at them.

Korra blinked in surprise, giving Asami a confused look, but the Sentinel could only shrug in reply.

"Well... this is new." The Sentinel muttered under her breath.

"So Asami... what should we do now?" Korra asked.

"What we should have done a minute ago." She replied calmly.

Korra raised an eyebrow at that statement.

"Which is?"

"RUN!"

At that moment, the Earth Tank opened fire.

* * *

**Next up: Korra and Asami vs a Tank, what's not to like? Sorry for that long wait, April was pretty busy, i'm hoping to settle it down once May starts and update somewhat regularly again. Thanks everyone for the reviews/faves/reads! :D  
**

**TO those i can't respond via PM**

**Alexandra:** Thanks :) as I said, stay tuned, because more weapons/characters are on the way!

**Guest** The identity of Zhenjin's dad will remain a secret, but rest assured it has a role to play in this story!

**Guest2**: Thanks! glad you liked it. I felt that Lee's story was never properly finished with Zuko alone, this is my attempt to rectify. As for your other character you brought up...we'll see :)

**Guest3:** Azula protecting her son... You're on the right track ;)

**Guest4:** Thanks! I guess I should work on the summary but i really couldn't think of another way to phrase it. Korra will meet some of Aang's friends, Appa will be addressed, and i try to update once a week, unless RL (real life) responsibilities get in the way. As you can see, April was a crazy month for me!


	22. A Fateful Encounter

**Chapter 22: A Fateful Encounter**

* * *

"Keep moving!" Asami snapped, just as the first shell lobbed straight between the two girls. Korra barely had time to feel the breeze of the missile flying past them before it demolished a supply cart behind them in a fiery explosion. The opening salvo was immediately followed by half a dozen more as each compartment of the Earth Bending tank opened a hatch, firing their projectiles in turn.

Asami and Korra leapt in the air as they ran, narrowlying avoiding a shell that exploded above just where they had been standing mere moments ago.

Not content to simply retreat, Korra let loose several fire blasts towards the tank as she and Asami ran for cover, but the Earth bending crew was well trained, closing the hatches of the machine and letting Korra's attack bounce off the massive beasts's armored hide. Smoke billowed from the rest of the campsite as the Earth Tank's shells tore through the neatly constructed buildings. Slaves and soldiers alike were fleeing, not willing to get in the way of the mechanical monstrosity that seemed intent on tearing apart the whole camp to take down the two Fire Nation intruders.

The caterpillar tank sped forward, its treads spewing up a cloud of dust as it charged straight towards the young girls, threatening to run them both over. But the two were quicker, Korra dove to the right, sending more bursts of flame into the tank that barely even charred the iron hull, while Asami tried to cut her way through the tank with her black blade, but it was not enough, leaving only a few light scratches on an otherwise undamaged machine.

Eventually, Korra and Asami found a spot behind a large boulder that offered temporary shelter while the Earth Tank continued bombarding at their position. They knelt under the storm of shells that chipped away at the rock, sending dust and dirt raining over them. It was a hard run, and the girls were still trying to catch their breath after their narrow escape.

As they recovered, Korra saw that they were at the entrance to the slave mines, surrounded by several carts of supplies and barrels from the miners' previous work.

"So these things only had Earth Bending discs huh?" Korra said teasingly. Even when they were pinned down fighting a house-sized tank, she couldn't help but take a jab at Asami being wrong about something for once.

That probably upset Asami more than being almost killed by an Earth Kingdom Tank.

"Okay, so maybe our intel was a bit outdated." The Sentinel huffed in annoyance. "Still doesn't change the fact that we're stuck."

"Mako and On Ji are on their way." Korra said, hoping that perhaps the transport they took with them had something in there that could take down their assailant.

"The Sato-Tank is mainly used as a transport vehicle though." Asami grumbled, "It's not built to go head to head with one of those."

"Great, just what I needed to hear." Korra instinctively ducked as another shell slammed into the boulder.

"Got any ideas?" Asami asked as she peered over the rock to see if there was at least an opening to slip through, but she was quickly rewarded by another cannon shot. This one hitting a stack of barrels behind which suddenly exploded with force, knocking the girls against the rock and filling the entrance of the tunnel in a pillar of smoke and flame.

Surprised at the extent of the blast, Korra quickly darted her eyes to the other parts of the camp, where she noted several more barrels being stacked by the other mine entrances.

"I think I may just have one..." Korra said with a conspiratorial smile.

* * *

The city of Ba Sing Se.

Eternal. Impenetrable.

It was the largest and oldest settlement in the world, far eclipsing the Fire Nation Capital in its size and splendor a slight concession that even Phoenix Lord Azula had to make when she conquered the city in her youth. Instead, she sought to add that grandeur to her empire, the crown jewel of her domains in the former Earth Kingdom. Within the last twenty years, the city had been torn down and rebuilt anew. Steel towers and billowing factories dominated what was once the outer ring, churning out weapons of war as well as armor to feed the endless machine that was the Fire Nation army.

And it was that army that was now mobilizing under the gigantic walls of the great city. Already tens of thousands of soldiers were arrayed in their perfect military formations. Each and every soldier was adorned in the crimson armor and skull mask of the Fire Nation, while elite battalions were distinguished by the gold trimmings in their armor. The presence of a large number of troops was evident as thousands of flags fluttered through the air, as if the sails of a great fleet had suddenly sprouted legs and was marching on land. Names of the great victories from the past Great War: The battles of Garsai, Han Tui, Taku and last but not least, Ba Sing Se, were embroidered on the banners and guidons of the elite units who had the honor of participating in them.

So vast was the army, that the very ground shook as they marched out of the city, boots slushed and clomped on the mud. The infantry were soon flanked by several columns of Tundra Tanks, the workhorse of the Fire Nation army, now with slight modifications to make them more heavily armored and maneuverable than their war-time counterparts. Like a steel serpent, the line of tanks stretched out of the city, assembling on the outskirts with the infantry, as well as raising a cloud of dust and ash in its wake.

That display too, paled in comparison to the Airships, which blackened the ground with their shadows. Massive aerial behemoths that were the same size as an Empire Class Battleship. Not much had changed in their design since the Hundred Year War, but the Phoenix Empire's enemies feared them all the same, with the memories of the Great Burning still etched in the memories of the entire Earth Kingdom, when Ozai and a dozen of his airships torched the land in his final victory.

It was these moments that General Ruon-Jian enjoyed the most, aside from forcing his enemy to kneel beneath his boot. The assembly of such strength and overwhelming power to crush an unsuspecting enemy, it was breath taking.

Aside from that, he genuinely felt proud of the men and women who served under his command in the grand army. They represented the best and brightest that the Fire Nation had to offer, a symbol of the power and industry of a budding young Nation that had conquered the world to progress it forward.

Now, they were called on once again by Azula to finish the job, and eliminate the remnants of the Earth Kingdom.

"Quite a sight, wouldn't you say old friend?" Footsteps sounded behind him, and Ruon-Jian heard the crisp salutes of his guard behind him as he turned with a smile.

"Chan, you old sea dog! It is good to see you again." He ignored Chan's extended hand, and simply embraced his oldest friend and comrade who had served with him under Azula for over a decade.

"You as well," Chan nodded in acknowledgement, "Although I'd much rather be on the front lines, hunting the Blue Spirit."

"You know your orders Chan," Ruon-Jian said. "Azula has tasked us with destroying Omashu,

"Still, it isn't a task I would trust to that boy." Chan said rather harshly. "Does Azula know how big of a risk she is taking here? Sending him after Zuko?"

Ruon-Jian shook his head confidently.

"It is the task given to the young prince, and if Azula thinks he is up to it, who am I to say no? Besides, If there's someone who knows how to gamble. It is Azula." He shivered slightly, recalling the chilling efficiency with which she maneuvered Prince Zuko out of the picture to be Ozai's successor. "He will be fine."

"Still...it does not suit me to sit on the sidelines like this." The Admiral grumbled.

"Then you will like what I have to say." Ruon-Jian smiled. "I will need your Marines and Ships for our next campaign. After Omashu, Azula is planning the next campaign for us to finally crush the resistance. Up north."

Chan's eyes lit up as he heard this, not daring to believe it himself. "You mean..."

"Yes." Ruon-Jian grinned. "Yue City. The Phoenix Lord believes she has found its location. It is only a matter of time before we unleash our own forces onto them, and end this war." He waved his hand at the assembling army below them

"Just what I like to hear." Chan replied with relish.

"That's in the future my friend." Ruon-Jian patted Chan on the shoulder. "Today, our business is with the Earth Kingdom."

Ruon-Jian turned to his commanders and soldiers, all of them assembled and standing in formation with anticipation of the moment. It would be the greatest operation they would see since the founding of the Phoenix Empire.

"All warriors!" Ruon-Jian shouted with a clenched fist. "We are to march on Omashu, to finish what we had started so many years ago at Ba Sing Se. We will wipe the pitiful remnants of the Earth Kingdom from this world, and their legacy with it. Leave nothing standing! For the glory of Phoenix Lord Azula!"

As one, the soldiers joined in the cheer.

"For Azula!"

* * *

The Earth Tank was moving again, wheeling around the boulder in hopes of getting a shot off against the two Fire Nation soldiers, and Korra and Asami both had to abandon their hiding space, which was quickly bombarded by a new volley of shells. Asami took a quick look back to see the dents and holes that the cannons burrowed into the huge boulder, silently impressed at the destructive power of these new Earth Kingdom weapons.

"So you said you had an idea?" Asami asked impatiently, ducking as another shell narrowly missed the pair.

"You saw how those barrels exploded back there when they were hit?" Korra said as she ran alongside Asami. "I'm willing to be that's blasting jelly. My father used it a lot when he worked in the mines with the other prisoners." She explained. "We can use it to disable the machine."

"Good plan." Asami replied, formulating her own idea from that newfound knowledge, then she gave Korra a cocky grin. "So...you think you can keep that tank distracted long enough? Or is that too much to ask for a Southern Raider?"

Knowing just what Asami was getting at, she gave a confident nod. "You're on."

"I'll be right back." Asami said, patting Korra's shoulder. "Don't get yourself killed!" Then she jumped out of cover, bolting towards a nearby stack of barrels while Korra did the same, in the opposite direction.

"I should say the same to you!" she shouted back, but was quickly cut off by the blast of cannon fire from the Earth tank.

Remembering all those years of honed skills and instincts she developed training in the prison camp. She fired several waves of flame at the cannons, even blasting apart one shell that was flying towards Asami.

Still it didn't look like she made a dent, and the Earth Tank's cannons were still trained on Asami. She wouldn't make it in time at that rate!

Korra took a deep breath. _Spirits. Give me Strength._

She bolted straight for the tank.

As her boots hit the ground, she felt a rush of adrenaline and apprehension shoot through her, time itself seemed to slow down as she saw the Earth Tank almost hesitate in training its guns on her, simply because the Earth Soldiers were not believing what they were seeing. A seventeen year old girl _charging_ straight at a tank?

Korra almost laughed at the absurdity of it until the Tank turned its attention towards her, curling so that its side faced her to open up the cannon hatches.

But Korra was ready, and she unleashed several pinpoint flame blasts at the hatches as they opened, burning several unsuspecting soldiers as they peered out at her. Others closed the hatches in time, letting the flame burn out harmlessly on the iron plated armor.

A shell exploded next to her, throwing up a fountain of earth, while pebbles and debris pinged off her Crimson armor. Grime and dust temporarily blinded her and she wiped it away, her eyes watering - with tears or sweat, she didn't know or care.

She swerved to the side, forcing the Earth tank to reposition itself to fire on her, but Korra took a deep breath, sending a wide wave of Fire directly at the machine. It was not damaging, but she was hoping it was bright enough to blind the Earth benders.

"Korra!" She lifted her head up, and saw Asami, two barrels in hand, one tucked under each arm, running towards the tank from behind them.

Nodding at her friend, she continued charging towards the tank, and she closed the range enough so that the Earthbenders were forced to use the Earth Bending discs to attack, the long range cannons were too slow to catch them in close quarters.

Remembering Asami's advice, Korra waited for a hatch to open, and was rewarded with the terrified stares of the Earth bending soldiers, which she promptly burned with a well aimed fire blast.

By now Asami had reached the Caterpillar tank, running up its spine while holding onto the blasting jelly.

At the right moment, one of the crew hatches facing Korra opened, with Asami directly above them. This didn't escape Asami's notice, she reached into the hatch with her gloved hand and shocked another Earthbender, bathing the innards of the vehicle in a brilliant blue light.

"Now!" Asami shouted, jamming two of the barrels into the hatchway before diving out of the way.

For everyone. The Earth benders. Asami. The terrified slaves. Time slowed to a crawl as Korra let loose one final bolt of flame at the machine.

In that instant, several compartments of the Earth Tank opened, revealing the Earth Bending crew as they desperately tried to escape the blast. But soon their world exploded all around them, throwing all of them back in a blinding flash. The steel of the caterpillar tank almost rippled as the blast tore it apart from the inside out, crumpling it into a pile of flaming debris.

Leaning over, hands on her knees, Korra could hardly believe what was happening as she saw the scene. They had almost single-handedly taken down an enemy tank!

Asami too, could barely believe her eyes as she surveyed the scene proudly. Even though a Sentinel would never like to admit it, Korra was a great help in achieving this victory, and she fought with the prowess of an elite level bender. Maybe there was potential for her in the sentinels after all?

Hide meanwhile, now with the danger averted, silently led the refugees and slaves out of their hiding places into the open, each of them thanking their saviors.

It astonished Korra to see so many of them like this. Most of the prisoners were wearing little more than rags, their faces malnourished and covered with dirt. Some of them were little more than children.

"Thank you for saving us." one of the elder slaves, an old woman, clasped Korra's forearm in gratitude. "I don't know what we can ever do to repay you."

The sight of so many smiling, yet gaunt faces sent waves of emotion rippling through her, and it took all her self control just to give a gentle smile in return.

"You'll never need to, let's just get you guys home."

A brush of trees to the side of the camp suddenly exploded, and another iron-plated tank revealed itself through the bushes. Only this one was emblazoned with the crimson seal of the Fire Nation.

"Looks like there's our ride." Asami said, just as the Sato-tank wheeled to a full stop inside the compound.

Mako was the first out of the cockpit while On Ji opened up the transport compartments. "We heard the explosion, is everyone alright?"

"Better late than never I guess, city boy." Korra said teasingly, then gestured at the forty or so captives towards the transport.

"There's room for everyone." She shouted, "Come on! We'll take you to the nearest town."

"And where exactly would that be?" Mako asked.

"The nearest garrison is at a town called Gaoling." Asami explained. "We can drop them off there, and have them sent home then."

* * *

Prince Zhenjin couldn't help but feel like he had been tossed aside on a wild goose chase. It had been days since he landed in the Earth Kingdom, with Ruon-Jian heading north to Ba Sing Se with Admiral Chan to plan their next attack, while he was given the task of hunting for one man in the Southern Earth Kingdom. Someone whose identity was never revealed to him. The Blue Spirit.

It was a dangerous mission to be sure, for the Blue Spirit was said to have almost single-handedly lose the war for the Fire Nation, not to mention the fact that he was going through Southern Earth Kingdom territory, which was still being contested with the usurper king of Omashu. But still, he didn't like to be tucked away and tossed aside from the main battle, without a chance to prove his worth and earn his throne.

As he made his way through the town, a detachment of Yuyan archers, on the escort of Komono Rhinos, followed the prince's every move, scanning the rooftops and crowd for any sign of danger as well as their elusive target.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, he turned to the captain of his escort. "You are sure this was the last place that they've sighted him?"

The captain nodded firmly, "He was last sighted here a few days ago I believe, while he was escaping Chan's marines."

Zhenjin nodded. "Fine then, keep an eye open, we'll continue the patrol here. I want every last inch of Gaoling searched before we even consider moving onto another area."

* * *

It didn't take long for the Sato-tank to pull into the garrison town of Gaoling, and already, the rescued slaves were beside themselves with joy as they were reunited with their families and friends. Many of the Fire Nation soldiers pitched in as well, bringing up huge cauldrons of food to feed the refugees along with tents to give them shelter while they sorted them out.

Korra watched the scene with pride, not just in herself, but for the first time, as a Southern Raider. They had done good work today.

"Kind of makes this job worth it huh?" She turned to Mako, who was also watching. Asami was leaning against a tree, sharpening her black blade while On Ji and Hide were busy distributing the supplies from the Sato tank as well.

Mako smiled weakly, somewhat ashamed at the fact that he was against this in the first place.

"You were right Korra, this was the right thing to do." Mako said. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Don't worry about it, I think it was pretty crazy myself." She said self-deprecatingly. "But still, great work sarge. I couldn't have done it without ya."

Mako smirked, then turned to Asami.

"So. What next? The two refugees could be anywhere now."

"Simple." Asami said rather nonchalantly. "We restock our supplies, and get information. This place is a hub for travellers in the Southern region, I'm sure someone has seen our water tribe prisoners come through here."

"Alright, Asami, you seem to know who to ask around here, maybe you can find some leads for us? Korra and I can pick out the supplies for the next part of the mission." Mako suggested.

Asami nodded, of course, it would be beneath a Sentinel to purchase supplies at a common market... "Sure Mako, I'll go on ahead."

"Thanks Asami, we'll see you and the rest of the team here at dusk."

The arrangements done, the team split off their own separate ways.

* * *

They spent most of the time walking through the market square of Gaoling, and to Korra, it seemed like another world altogether. Merchants shouted their deals in the market Bazaar, walking their caravans through the dusty streets. Soldiers and workers congregated in nearby pubs and workshops, acting as body guards or simply soliciting for work. Languages and dialects all over the Earth Kingdom flowed through the air, intermingling into a perfect cacophony of chaos and noise.

"Pretty crazy for a market huh?" Mako smiled, somewhat amused by Korra as she experienced city life for the first time.

"It's just...nothing I've ever seen before."

"Well don't worry." Mako replied, "Once we get those prisoners, we'll get your family free, and you can move into a place just like this."

"You think so?" Korra asked, remembering all her nights just wondering what it was like to be out in the world. Free from the horrible prison and exploring the cities of the world with her family. It was a dream she had for as long as she could remember, and one she held tight to.

"I know so." Mako nodded confidently. "Now come on! Help me pick out some supplies here, we're going to have a feast tonight!" he pointed towards one of the carts in the market that was attracting quite a lot of business, with dozens of citizens gathering around it.

Korra's eyes brightened at the prospect of the meal they would have, until she finally saw what the cart contained.

"Cabbages? Really?" She raised an eyebrow.

The merchant of the cart seemed to take offense to that, and he rushed to defend his produce.

"Why young lady, what an absolutely disgraceful to say! Cabbages are one of the most wonderful delicacies you can have in the world! In fact, I thought your people appreciated it." He said with a disdain that annoyed her, but Korra blinked her eyes in surprise as she heard him. "What do you mean?! I'm from the South Pole, we don't exactly grow cabbage patches there buster."

"Hmph, well at least your fellow colonials over there know how to appreciate my fine produce!" The man huffed, pointing at two other customers who were standing just on the other side of the cart from Korra.

Korra felt the breath leave her lungs as the two customers raised their faces to look her straight in the eye, their jaws literally dropping to the floor as they saw her.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

Korra however, could barely contain the rage of emotions that flowed through her as she recalled the memory of their last meeting. The suffocating pain that had flowed through her veins, the shame of her greatest failure, as well as the traumatic reminder of it from the lashes on her back. All of it seemed to flow like venom in the next words she said.

**"YOU!"**

"Tarrlok..." Noatak backed away from the cart, just as the full appreciation of the danger dawned on his brother's face. "Run!"

* * *

**PHEW! That took a while.**** Next up: Korra tries to capture the Blood brothers, and chaos ensues! Thanks everyone for the reviews/faves/reads! :D I really appreciate all the advice/criticisms/ideas you are putting forth!**

**Guest Comments (so many of you so I'll leave these as my topics:) **

**On the Sato-mobile comment. **This is mainly the result of me playing with the ages of the LOK cast. If Asami is Korra's age by this timeline, then that means the first Sato-mobile should have been invented at around the time Aang died,Sato-mobiles won't be used widespread though, to keep that aspect of the technology someone closer to ATLA

**Grammar and Spelling** are unfortunately sidelined as i try to release this weekly. I will read back and correct whenever I can!

**The Southern Raiders** Let's just say Katara and Korra will have a very interesting relationship when they meet :)

**Korra's uncle** I have a lot planned for the Water Tribe arc of this story, but that won't be for a while, but I'll just say this may be a possibility, but I hesitate to write a character until I know something about them, so i'm hoping book 2 (whenever that comes!) provides me with some idea of his character if I were to make it true.

**Pacing** I will altenate between weekly and semi weekly

**Yue City **I think you will like it when i reveal it :)

**Zuko and Toph** Will happen sooner than the water tribe parts, count on it! There's still much i have planned for the Earth kingdom arc XD


	23. Intervention

**Chapter 23: Intervention  
**

* * *

Gaoling was one of the few places left in the Earth Kingdom that had been lucky enough to avoid being torched at the end of the hundred year war, as it had been occupied by the armies of Ruon-Jian and Azula shortly after the fall of Ba Sing Se. As the only major settlement left standing in the area besides the rebellious city of Omashu, it became a natural hub for weary war refugees, as well as incoming Fire Nation colonists and garrison troops in the Southern realm of Azula's domains. Because of the influx of new citizens, Gaoling flourished over time, sometimes being compared to the other major Fire Nation colonies on the continent, such as Yu Dao or New Ozai.

The city too, had evolved in the after-war years thanks to the reconstruction efforts of the occupying forces; Older stone Earth Kingdom-style buildings were supplemented by the red pagoda-style roofs of the Fire Nation, representing a unique blending of the two cultures. The New Gaoling marketplace was a prime example of this, as it was very stylish, modern and well-kept.

It was also on fire.

At first, the bystanders and garrison troops had no idea what was going on. One minute, the scene was peaceful and mundane, like every day in the marketplace, then suddenly, an explosion of flame ignited a cart, then another, and then another. It didn't take long before the rest of the market began collapsing into a frenzied panic, with citizens scrambling for the safety of their homes while the guards helplessly tried to stem the crowd, but to no avail.

All of it seemed to originate from a very well-frequented cabbage cart, which was now raining burning cabbage heads as a very hot heated Southern Raider began chasing after two would-be customers.

Korra hurled another fire blast that abruptly destroyed another cart, throwing pieces of flaming cabbages into the sky.

_"NOOO...MY CABBAGES!"_ The horrified cart owner screamed, only to be knocked aside as Korra ran past him.

"Get back here!" Korra snarled, running past the prostrate merchant as he stared blankly at his ruined cart.

"Yeah, cause you're making it so appealing." Noatak snapped back, expertly blocking one of Korra's attacks by bending the tea from a nearby kettle into a makeshift shield.

Tarrlok backed up his brother, bumping into a blacksmith who was drenching his newly forged sword in a tub of water.

"Sorry, but I'll need to borrow this." Tarrlok ignored the protests of the blacksmith as he unceremoniously lifted the water from the tub into the air, and throwing it down onto the ground, converting it into a slick sheet of ice in front of their would-be pursuer.

"Why you-" Korra started, but she didn't finish as it was too late to change her stride. One step onto the ice sent her barreling towards a platoon of Fire Nation guards, all of them falling together in a mangled clump of bodies and armor.

Admiring his quick thinking, Tarrlok quickly felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Don't just stand there! Come on Tarrlok!" Noatak snapped, quickly pointing to more guards that were approaching the brothers.

Korra meanwhile, emerged from the groaning bodies of the town guards and quickly resumed her pursuit. Her eyes _red_ with fury.

"Kori so gonna kill us..." Tarrlok mumbled as he picked himself up and started to run with his brother, whilst dodging more fireballs along the way.

* * *

"I'm_ so_ going to kill those two...what the heck were they thinking?" Kori grumbled as she watched the sudden outburst of flame from the Market square.

_It was one simple task, pick up some food from that cart. What the heck went wrong there?_ Still, there was no time to dwell on that. What mattered now was how to extract the two brothers from this situation, _without_ blowing her cover. Already, more guards were converging towards the chaos, and one of them, a sergeant she recognized from her trips around here, bowed to her and quickly tugged her by the arm.

"Sorry Ma'am, it's not safe here, there's rebels in the marketplace, and I can't have the governor's daughter caught up it in."

"I can handle myself sergeant." Kori withdrew her arm back, firmly. "Take your men down, I'll be on my way."

The sergeant, taken aback by the sudden commanding authority she asserted, nodded. "Very well ma'am, but don't venture any further! Stay here, and I can have a detail of guards escort you home later."

With that little detail taken care of, he gave the rest of his platoon the go ahead, and they ran towards the chaos and sounds of the market.

_Damnit, What should I do?_ Kori weighed the options in her mind. Her meteor hammers were hanging from her belt, and she was confident that she could fight off whatever pursuers were after Noatak and Tarrlok, but that would instantly blow her cover as a rebel sympathizer. Something she could not risk, for herself or her family.

Then, suddenly, the solution presented itself.

"Don't worry." A voice emerged from the alleyway beside her, and Kori turned to see a familiar ally leaning against the wall, in the shadows.

"I've got their backs."

Kori nodded back, relief flowing through her. "I'm counting on you."

* * *

Mako could hardly believe what was happening as he saw the melee broke out in the town square. One minute, he was behind Korra, and the next, she was gone, running pell mell after the two Water Tribe prisoners who appeared in front of them, _out of all places._

Still, knowing just how tough those two were, Korra would need back up. Already, he was calling the nearest guards to follow him, assembling a makeshift squad that followed the path of destruction Korra was unknowingly carving through town. It was easy enough to follow, as Korra left in her wake A trail of trashed carts, burning debris and scorched rooftops.

"Squad, on me." Mako said

"Going to start the party without me?" An armored shadow suddenly landed next to Mako, and he turned to see a smiling Asami standing next to him. _She really loves doing that to me._ He sighed. He guessed she must have been doing some reconnaisance from the rooftops and ran straight here as soon as she heard the commotion.

"The more the merrier." He nodded, "Let's go, Korra needs our help!"

"Way ahead of ya!" Asami agreed, already sprinting up ahead with her sword drawn. The civilians in the area were clearing out, but there were still a mass of humanity flowing in the streets, while Korra was still far ahead. She was slightly impressed, that girl was fast when she was pissed.

* * *

Noatak cursed silently as he and Tarrlok rounded another corner into an alleyway. He hadn't really planned any further ahead than to just get away from the vengeful firebending girl. They had successfully dodged the rest of the town garrison, turning the entire street into a sleet of ice that knocked them all down but she had foreseen that, jumping onto the rooftops and pursuing them from there.

If anything, Noatak was grudgingly impressed by her, as she chased them with a tenacity that reminded him of an arctic wolf closing in for the kill. Eventually the alleyway ended, and the gasping brothers soon found themselves in a small dead end courtyard that was flanked by buildings on all sides, with nothing but a stone well in the middle. They were trapped.

"What now brother?" Tarrlok said with a hint of worry, nervously glancing towards the alleyway where Korra was racing towards them.

"Distract her for now, I'll think of something." Noatak replied with confidence, if only for Tarrlok's benefit. Silently, he was cursing at their bad luck. They should have stayed back with Toph and her Freedom fighters instead of exposing themselves so recklessly. Kori wouldn't be able to help them, he was certain, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to get help at this very moment. All they needed to do was hold off the Southern Raiders until that help, whatever it looked like, arrived.

The two brothers steeled themselves as Korra emerged from the alleyway, resplendent in the black and crimson armor of a Southern Raider. She focused on the pair with a predatory glance.

"You can give it up now," She said sternly. "It's over. I'll give you one chance. Give up now, and you won't be harmed."

"I'll skip the trip back to the South Pole if I can." Noatak replied defiantly. "Didn't you learn your lesson from the last time we met?" He smirked confidently, remembering just how easily she fell for his trick, allowing her to capture him and escape with his blood bending. There was no full moon now, to be sure, but there was a well, that was more than enough water to defeat her.

Despite what she thought of his abilities, she had yet to face him in a fair fight.

Korra however, seemed to be oblivious to Noatak's implied threat. She strode forward confidently, unsheathing her _jian_ with a rasping sound of steel.

"It's Noatak isn't it?" Korra said fiercely as she brought her sword up into an attack stance. "Trust me, it's not going to be much of a rematch. I'm bringing you in." There was steel in Korra's eyes, and Noatak assumed a defensive stance warily. Somehow, she just didn't seem like the inexperienced prison guard he had easily defeated just a week ago.

"Why are you so dead set on catching us?" Tarrlok protested. "We're water tribe. We should be working together to take down the Fire Nation!"

"Don't bother Tarrlok, She's just a dog of the Fire Nation." Noatak said angrily. "I saw what they do to the prisoners in your compound. You're no better than the Fire Nation guards, maybe even worse." He taunted.

Korra widened her eyes at the accusation, _dog of the fire nation..._but she fought down the hesitation with an iron resolve.

"I don't care what you have to say about me..." She replied softly, the _jian_ shaking visibly in her hand, with an emotion Noatak couldn't quite understand. "They punished me and my family because of what you did. I have to bring you back. There's no other way."

That took Noatak by surprise, and for some reason he felt a small sting of sympathy for Korra, almost regretting the words he said before. It was obvious that she didn't _choose_ to be a soldier of the Fire Nation, but it was also obvious that she knew no other way to live her life. If anything, it bitterly reminded him of his own upbringing with his father, who regularly beat his vision of what they _should_ be into him and his brother.

But that wasn't enough to change anything, not here, not now.

"I'm sorry about your family." Noatak said seriously, instinctively summoning a huge stream of water from the well, the water coiling protectively around him and Tarrlok, his eyes lit up in grim determination. "But there's no way we're going back with you."

"It's not like I'm giving you a choice!" Korra snapped, then she lunged with the sword, channeling her firebending through the blade to make it grow bright red.

Noatak was quicker however, and a quick slash of a water whip knocked the weapon out of Korra's hand and onto the ground.

Undeterred, Korra grounded her stance, letting loose two solid jets of flame at Tarrlok and Noatak.

"Duck!" Noatak shouted to Tarrlok, just as he extended the water whip to cancel out the blast aimed for him, but there wasn't enough water to protect him as well, so he rolled to the side. Jumping on the well, he summoned another geyser from it, and aimed it straight at Korra, but the firebender was equally fast, slashing her arm to send a wave of flame straight to Noatak's feet.

Only the blast was cut short by a thick wall of ice, and Korra turned to see Tarrlok nervously summoning up the glacial barrier, cutting her attack off and distracting her enough for Noatak's attack to break through.

Korra grunted in pain as the wave of water slammed her hard against the wall of the building, as both brothers resumed a fighting stance against her.

_Okay._ _Maybe it wasn't a bright idea taking them two on one._ She thought grudgingly.

Then, as if in answer to her prayers, another voice filled the alleyway.

"Korra!"

Noatak and Tarrlok turned in surprise to see another fire blast firing straight at them. Acting on instinct, Noatak ducked, tripping his younger brother down as well so that they both avoided the blast, narrowly.

Just as Noatak was about to summon another wave of water from the well, he felt a violent stab of pain run through his arm as he felt himself struck several times along the length of his arm and shoulder. Before he knew it, the left side of his body was completely numb, and a grey figure in full black metal armor stood behind him, wrapping an armored arm around his throat.

"You guys!" Korra exclaimed, smiling in surprise.

"What?" Asami smirked. "You think we'll let you have all the fun?"

"It's over." Mako said firmly, emerging from the alleyway and into the courtyard, a platoon of Fire Nation soldiers behind him. "We're taking you back."

"Tarrlok, Run!" Noatak grunted, but a quick jab by Asami kept him still. Tarrlok meanwhile, shifted his eyes nervously between the armored Sentinel and the Southern Raiders who had captured his brother. Part of him wanted to flee, to take that chance, but another didn't want to leave his brother at the mercy of these Fire Nation soldiers. He didn't know what to do.

"I'll admit, you've led us on a quite a wild chase." Asami tightened the grip on Noatak's neck, while the other guards surrounded Tarrlok. "But it ends now."

"Alright..." Tarrlok said quietly. "I'll come with you. Just don't hurt my brother."

"Tarrlok. NO!" Noatak said with fury, but was quickly choked off by Asami.

"Quiet, one more word, and I'll drop you." She said seriously.

Korra smirked in response, just as Asami nodded to the other guards.

"Alright, show's over. Let's wrap this up and send them on their wa-"

Asami never had a chance to finish, before she knew it, she found her arms and legs tied together by several bolas that were thrown from the darkness. More spinning ropes whipped through the air, knocking down the other guards around Tarrlok as well. Another guard tried to rush the mysterious man, but his feet were quickly tripped up by a hook blade that he was carrying, sending him tumbling into the air and down the well with a splash.

"What the-" Korra barely caught the blur of events as they passed by. In the span of a few seconds, three guards and a Sentinel were taken down. Noatak meanwhile, coughed as he knelt on the ground, clutching his bruised throat.

"What's going on?" Tarrlok asked, kneeling by his brother's side.

All eyes in the courtyard were now focused on the newcomer standing in the middle. Wielding two hook blades, and clothed in a black non-discreet garb, only one thing distinguished him.

A mask of blue.

"I got him!"

Korra picked up her sword and charged, firing a burst of flame on the attack.

The next thing she knew, she was no longer standing.

Korra found herself lying on the ground, staring into the blue mask, an arm pinning her down by the throat. Her _jian _clanging harmlessly on the stone floor.

It took her a moment to understand what had happened. The stranger had moved with inhuman speed, so quickly that he had not only dodged her fireblast, but somehow disarmed her before her sword even fell onto the ground.

"Korra!"

Mako jumped in to the rescue, firing a fireblast that was quickly dodged by the mysterious man. More guards were converging on the alleyway, surrounding the Blue Spirit and the two water tribe prisoners as well.

Asami meanwhile, was freeing herself from the bolas, ready to jump in and exact her revenge.

Sensing the tide turning against him, the Blue Masked man pulled out a smoke bomb, and the last thing Korra saw, was the sight of Noatak and Tarrlok being pushed by the man into the alleyway, while the bomb went off in a flash.

* * *

The alleyway exploded into a cloud of smoke, and all the Fire Nation soldiers coughed and hacked as they tried to fight their way through the smokescreen, but by the time the air cleared, it was too late. The prisoners, and the Blue masked man, were gone.

Nothing however, escaped Prince Zhenjin's gaze.

Having heard the commotion at the marketplace, he ordered his men forward, hoping it was a clue into tracking down his target. What he witnessed instead, was an impressive chase of two water tribe refugees as they literally burned their way through the town, only to be cornered in a small alleyway. It had nothing to do with his mission, but the chase excited him. It was small, and petty, but it amused him to see his mother's neat and organized little town thrown into such chaos. For someone who had his life planned and built for him, Zhenjin enjoyed a little unpredictability and chaos here and there, and that girl had plenty of it.

But to top it all off, the Blue Spirit decided to show his face _here_, and to rescue those water tribe refugees? That made things more interesting.

More than that, he was slightly impressed by the young Water Tribe girl. That combination of raw talent, single-minded focus, and ruthless determination was all too rare. She would be useful in his own mission. Especially now that she had come face to face with the Blue Spirit. Maybe s_he_ could be useful after all...

He dismounted from his Komodo Rhino, striding towards the alleyway, where already, several soldiers were bowing and prostrating themselves in his presence, completely taken aback by the fact that a Grand Prince of the Fire Nation was stepping onto the scene.

"That was quite a stunt you pulled there." He said with an impressed tone, and both Mako and Asami's eyes widened in surprise as they saw the Prince, while Korra was still kneeling on the ground, investigating for the footprints of their escaped refugees.

"It seems you're having some trouble with your own hunt. What do you say we join forces? I would be honored to have you all with me on my mission."

Korra, still flustered in annoyance at having lost her target, replied bluntly without even bothering to turn and look around. "What the heck are you talking about? And why should we help you?"

Asami almost felt her jaw drop to the floor as she heard Korra speak.

Mako simply slapped his forehead in disbelief.

* * *

It took awhile, but Noatak was finally beginning to regain feeling in his arm again, after that girl had hit him. It was an odd sensation, having lost all energy in the arm, as if it had been cut off. Now, he was rubbing it uneasily, a bruising pain still coursing through him.

_Did she take away my bending?__ How is that even possible? _He thought. _Thank the spirits it wasn't permanent.  
_

Either way, that would be a question for another day. For now, they were following the Blue Masked man, who had shown them the boar headed seal of Toph Bei Fong's resistance as proof of his sincerity. No doubt they were heading towards the hideout already.

The trio kept running until they reached the ruined estate of the Bei Fong Family, where they had encountered Kori just the day before.

"You saved us," Noatak nodded towards the Blue Spirit. "Thanks, we owe you one."

The Blue Spirit however, didn't reply, he merely gestured towards the house, as if gesturing them to go inside.

"Wait, this isn't the entrance way to the hideout." Tarrlok noted as they approached the doors of the ruined mansion. To his surprise, the doors opened before he could touch them.

"That's because we're not going to the hideout." Another voice, feminine and strong, emerged from the doorway, and both brothers watched in surprise as Toph Bei Fong emerged from the house, fully clad in her metal bending armor.

"And don't say your thank yous just yet. You'll be repaying it sooner than you think." Toph said seriously.

"What is this about?" Noatak asked, completely confused about why Toph and this mysterious masked man were suddenly working together.

"That Water Tribe girl, you seem well acquainted with her." Toph noted.

"Yeah, but that's a long story. Thank the spirits we were able to get away from her." Tarrlok replied with relief.

"It's okay, I don't need the story. What I need, is your cooperation." The Metalbender gave a slight grin, which suddenly made Noatak apprehensive of what she was going to say next.

In that instant, more figures emerged from the bushes around them, and Noatak watched in surprise as Niska, Smellerbee, and Kori revealed themselves. All three of them fully armed and prepped for battle. Tarrlok and Noatak could barely contain their disbelief.

"We're going to use you as bait." Toph said, simply.

* * *

**Next up: Toph has a plan! =D  
**

******Thanks everyone for the reviews/faves/reads! :D I really appreciate all the advice/criticisms/ideas you are putting forth!**

******To those i can't reply via PM**

**Guest: **you mean Jin? not sure who the girl with the burnt leg is...but I'll see ;)

**Guest2: **Zhenjin may seem like a blank slate now, but as you stated, his position will allow him to be dynamic going forward. I'll do my best to help fill in those blanks! :) he may surprise you in the end...

** Uzu-chan: **thanks Uzu chan for your honest critique. Yes the avatar revelation is coming, but like Zuko in book 1, i need to establish Korra's link to the Fire Nation in this part. But don't worry. Once it starts, it'll keep going, i haven't forgotten that part of the plot :)


	24. The Trap

**Chapter 24: The Trap  
**

* * *

"Why should we help you?" Korra asked in annoyance.

A collective gasp filled the alleyway as Mako, Asami and the rest of the Fire Nation soldiers became wide eyed in fear of what they had just witnessed. As Phoenix Lord, Azula relished the fear that her authority brought to her, and she made sure that even the smallest traces of disobedience and disrespect was punishable by death or banishment.

And in the eyes of everyone in the courtyard, she had just committed a capital offense. The Yuyan Archers in particular, glared at Korra with hostility as they saw the disrespect paid to the prince. Some were even ready to train their bows and swords on her.

However, Zhenjin simply chuckled, waving them back.

"Maybe you should turn around first." He said patiently, giving the Water tribe girl a second to turn around and see him. Instead of the familiar recognition and look of fear and intimidation that he was used too, Korra instead gave a blank look, almost borderline _quizzical_.

"Sorry...I don't know you..."

"That's_ Prince Zhenjin you idiot!"_ Korra heard a whisper next to her, which Asami followed with a rather rough elbow digging into her kidney that made korra keel over. This was done while Asami herself was simultaneously bowing (which Korra thought was rather impressive, if she wasn't in so much pain).

"My Prince, it is an honor." Asami said formally.

Korra took the hint and bowed as well, rubbing her aching kidneys in response. _she didn't have to hit me THAT hard..._

Zhenjin grinned, rather enjoying the scene. This was one of the rare times he had met other soldiers his age, having always been used to the older mentors and trainers that Azula had arranged for him. Usually, they would all scramble to bow at his feet, in fear of doing anything to displease the son of Phoenix Lord Azula. And while the fear and respect for authority was something he liked, it felt worn out after a while. He would never say it, but the casualness of Korra's greeting actually felt like a breath of fresh air. Still, it wasn't something to be encouraged.

"I'm sorry, your majesty." Korra said meekly. "It won't happen again."

He smirked. "You can be at ease. There's no reason to be so formal around me. After all, I'm no stranger to garrison duty myself."

Korra and Asami breathed a sigh of relief as they rose back to their feet. It never recalled to Korra during her time in the south pole that the Fire Nation royalty would spend anytime outside of their palaces, nor had she seen any pictures of anyone other than Phoenix Lord Azula in her firebending lessons. Still, Zhenjin looked like the epitome of a young Fire Nation noble. With the formal top knot hairstyle, and the gold trimmed, crimson armor that was assigned to the elite firebenders. The golden flame crown on his head should have given his status away, and Korra cursed herself for making such a stupid mistake, being caught up in her frustration at losing the fugitives and all.

"I'm somewhat curious though, what's a Sentinel doing down here anyway?" Zhenjin asked. To be honest, he had never seen such a rag tag collection of warriors from so many different parts of the Phoenix Empire at once. Someone must have gone to great lengths to gather this amount of talent, he reckoned.

At that question, it was Mako who stepped up.

"It was actually my request, Prince Zhenjin." He bowed formally as he introduced himself. "I've asked Asami to help us track down two dangerous water tribe fugitives from the South Pole. As part of an assignment for the Southern Raiders."

Zhenjin turned, and a look of recognition fill his eyes as he saw the sergeant, followed by a smile.

"Mako? Is that you?" Zhenjin said in genuine surprise, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What are you doing here? I'd expect a fellow graduate of the Royal Academy to be commanding his own squadron of ships or troops by now. Not still stuck as a sergeant!"

"Royal Academy!?" Asami and Korra both looked at Mako as if he had just sprouted horns.

"What? No!" Mako said defensively, wanting to brush that little thought out of everyone's minds. "It was a reward the Phoenix Lord gave my family after...after my father passed away."

Zhenjin nodded as he explained to the two girls, "Mako's father was a great general in our army, and very popular with the troops." He continued. "He gave his life one day protecting the royal family from a violent coup by some Fire Nation traitors...and saved my life as a result." The Prince nodded towards Mako. "I owe my life to him, and it was my mother's wish that his son was honored as well, with enrollment in our academy, to become a great general like him."

He then turned to the Southern Raider. "Instead, you waste it all being a mere sergeant?"

Mako almost flushed at being called out by the Prince, with so many prying eyes watching, but he maintained his composure. "I just needed to get away from the capital for a while. That's all."

"Well, when this is over, come see me, we'll have to fix that won't we." Zhenjin replied, then turned to Korra.

"And you. What is your name?" He asked curiously.

Korra flushed a bit, not used to ever meeting a Fire Nation noble, much less be scrutinized by one. "Korra, Private, Second Class your majesty." I_ hate the sound of that._ She thought.

Zhenjin smirked, amused by the formality. "I saw what you did at the marketplace back there, and during the fight. You must be something, Private Korra, for a sergeant of the Southern Raiders _and_ a Phoenix Sentinel to take notice of." The Prince said, rather impressed.

"Thanks...It was nothing." Korra said rather awkwardly.

"I'll be the better judge of that." Zhenjin remarked. "Perhaps we can use those skills for a more suitable challenge. I'm on the hunt for a dangerous fugitive myself, and it looks like he is working together with your prey. Our interests, it seems, align."

"Can't argue with the Grand Prince." Mako said wryly. "What's on your mind?"

"We join forces." Zhenjin said, "My Yuyan archers, and your Southern Raiders. We'll combine our resources and track down our refugees."

Knowing better than to deny a 'request' from the Grand Prince of the Fire Nation, Mako nodded with a grin. "I don't see why not. We could sure use the extra help. Isn't that right Korra?"

For once, Korra seemed unsure of herself, still somewhat taken aback with the revelation of the prince's identity. "Uh...sure, whatever you think is best."

"Excellent." The Prince grinned, delighted at how easily everything was falling into place. "Then we'll head off. I've sent a detachment of archers ahead to chase down your Water Tribe fugitives. Knowing them, they should lead us straight to the rebel hideout."

"I will escort you personally, my prince." Asami said firmly, and with a nodding assent, she and Zhenjin walked ahead, while the honor guard of Yuyan archers followed suit.

Mako and Korra joined in as well, following the prince's procession as they marched through what was left of the burning market square.

"So Mako, you didn't tell me you had connections at the top." Korra said teasingly, "That could have saved us a lot of trouble you know?"

"It was a long time ago." Mako replied rather defensively. "Besides, I can't just _waltz _in and ask the Prince of the Fire Nation for a favour! Even if we did go to the Royal Academy together."

"Whatever you say, _lord_ Mako." she sneered, delighted that he snapped at the bait so easily.

Zhenjin meanwhile, gave a sly smile as he heard the exchange, enjoying their banter. But then, he paused, remembering his mother, the Phoenix Lord Azula's own advice to him when he was younger...

_"Remember Zhenjin," Azula began tersely. "It is always important to find an elite team of friends to work with. You never know when they will always come in handy."_

_Zhenjin frowned as he heard that. Did everything with his mom have to be 'perfect' or 'elite'?_

_"What if I just like them?" He asked innocently.._

_"That's not good enough!" She snapped. "What use are they to you then? No. You'll need friends. Elite friends. Friends with talents and skills that you can use as you wish. But remember...never trust them completely. Ever. Not unless you are convinced they fear you completely."_

_"Fear me?" Zhenjin asked._

_"Yes." Azula said with relish. "Many will chose to be respected and honored rather than feared. I will tell you now, those people are fools. Fear is the only guarantee of obedience in this world. It is the glue that holds this empire and this world together. Become well acquainted with it my son. Because you will find yourself using it one day."_

Zhenjin shivered involuntarily as he recalled it. What was it about his mother that just made him feel uneasy? _Is it better to be feared? or respected? _Of course, he saw the value in intimidating his subjects, but personally, he found it much better if they followed him willingly. Then again... Phoenix Lord Azula didn't conquer an entire kingdom single-handedly by making mistakes or false assumptions. He was sure there was some wisdom in that piece of advice.

Shaking his head of those thoughts, he quickly paced forward. There was no use in indulging himself in these distractions. First, he would capture the Blue Spirit, and once he secured his inheritance to the throne, he would entertain those notions later.

* * *

The explanation had only taken five minutes, within the deserted compound of the Bei Fong estate, yet the brothers felt like they had been sitting there for an eternity. They still couldn't believe it, and they had to have Kori, Niska and Toph repeat it over and over again before the idea had taken root inside him and his brother's minds.

_That crazy, vindictive girl who had been chasing us halfway across the world...was the Avatar?!_

The Spirits indeed must have been playing a cruel joke on everyone if that were the case.

"I...I can't believe it." Tarrlok said softly as he tried to gauge the sincerity of Toph's words when she explained it.

"Whether you believe it or not. You're helping." Toph spat, indicating her impatience.

Noatak however, thought though it logically with the clear level headedness he was known for. It could be possible... A Water Tribe girl his age who could firebend in the South Pole? Especially when the fire Fire Nation colonies had only being constructed a few years ago.

He remembered from his youth the stories of the Avatar. His father had told him that the Avatar was all powerful, but ultimately weak-willed, which was why he lost against Phoenix lord Azula in Ba Sing Se. And like many others, he had given up hope that the world would ever see another one again, considering the fate of the Airbender, who was reportedly killed in the Avatar state. Since then, Yakone had made it clear to both Noatak and Tarrlok that the Water Tribes had to depend on only themselves now to throw off the Fire Nation yoke, rather than on a fairy tale of the Avatar, which was probably why he trained them so harshly.

_But on the off chance she is the Avatar? That ...That can change everything._

No. Yakone would say. _It's mere d__ay dreaming and wishful thinking. It was weakness. We cannot afford to be weak. _

Suddenly, Noatak understood why the resistance was so anxious to act now. Even if it as a slim chance of her being an avatar, they had to act on it. They had no other choice. Thinking back on his previous experience, the fight in the prison, how easily Korra had broken out of the ice casing that he enveloped her body with. He had written that off as mere luck...but maybe that was her unconsciously water bending?

_No. It can't be. I'm not getting my hopes up, especially over a Fire Nation soldier who's out to put Tarrlok and me in chains.  
_

_but still...there was a chance.  
_

"Alright..." Noatak said finally after a long drawn out silence. "Say we believe you...how exactly do you intend to use us as bait?"

Toph smirked as she whispered her plan into Noatak's ear.

"What?!" Noatak snapped indignantly as he heard the details. "Are you out of your _mind_? There's no way you're getting me and my brother to do that!"

"Oh, trust me." Toph grinned sheepishly, whilst cracking her knuckles. "I can be quite persuasive."

Unphased, Noatak scoffed back defiantly. "Yeah right... good luck with _that._"

* * *

_Thirty minutes later_

_._

_._

_._

"Hey look at us! We're water benders!" Noatak shouted as he jumped from one merchant cart to the next, wrecking havoc with conjured streams of water that he pulled from a nearby well. For the full breadth of the town square, the brothers left nothing but chaos and furious and soaked Fire Nation citizens in their way.

_I can't believe I let her talk me into this!_ Noatak thought angrily, then shivered when he remembered just how persuasive Toph really was.

"Yup. That's us! Water bending away!" Tarrlok smirked, sheepishly followed his brother's trail, using the full extent of their waterbending powers to make as much mischief as possible, from freezing the sidewalks of the city streets to making tea kettles explode into clouds of steam, the pair wrecked a path of mischief and annoyance across everyone in their path. The young water bender seemed to enjoy playing the fool, dropping the military discipline and letting his guard down for once. It was as refreshing as the crisp sea waves of his homeland and a welcome change of pace.

And despite how mopey his brother looked, he thought Noatak was _dangerously_ close to looking like he was enjoying himself as well.

Naturally, the Fire Nation guards took notice, and already the pair could sense several platoons hot on their trail as they weaved and dodged through the roads. More fire blasts and arrows hit the buildings and carts they dodged around, signalling that it was time to go.

"Stop!" A Firebending sergeant snarled as he and his troops chased them. "Stop in the name of the Phoenix Lord!"

"You think that was enough?" Tarrlok asked as he and his brother jumped off a rooftop, conjuring a sheet of ice on the ground which they used to slide away from their pursuers, dodging more bursts of flame as they ran.

"It better be," Noatak frowned, "I've had enough of running around to last a lifetime. Let's meet up at the mine."

"If you say so, brother." Tarrlok grinned, rather enjoying this little escapade.

* * *

"What in Agni's name is going on here?" Zhenjin demanded as he caught up with several of his advanced scouts. Yuyan archers who had returned from a neighbouring village around the Gaoling area.

"My lord, we've sighted the Water tribe refugees. They've attacked a local market and are now scattering for the hills."

"Have we got a mark on their location?" The prince asked.

"Yes sire, follow us, we'll take you there."

Zhenjin nodded, turning triumphantly in his saddle to face his newly formed squad.

"See? We'll have our fugitives bagged. No time at all!" He said casually.

The Southern Raiders nodded uneasily as they sat in their mounts, each one of them sitting uncomfortably on the Komodo Rhinos that Zhenjin had given them for this chase. Only Asami seemed most comfortable on them, having been used to them in her own noble upbringing. Korra meanwhile, found her mount an unruly beast, hot-tempered and barely obeying her instructions, and she shuffled uneasily in the saddle with each stride.

_I can't believe I'm saying this. But I'd rather sit in Asami's Sato-Tank with her at the wheel._

On Ji and Hide meanwhile, followed on foot with the rest of the soldiers, still recovering from their disbelief in having Mako and Korra bring back the Grand Prince of the Fire Nation with them.

But with a fiery determination to finish this hunt which had them crossing an ocean and a continent, the crew rode on towards their target.

"Where are they headed?" Korra asked seriously as she managed to get her beast to move closer to the prince's mount. The animal snorted in protest.

"The Gaoling Mines." Zhenjin explained. "We'll have them trapped. Right where we want them."

* * *

"Took you Lily-livers long enough to get here." Toph grinned as she watched the two Water Tribe brothers stumble their way into the entrance of the tunnels, both completely out of breath and keeling over in exhaustion from having run all the way to this far off mine.

"Yeah...well..."Noatak gasped. "You try running all the way here from Gaoling without Earthbending."

Toph watched the pair in amusement as they seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

"You've both done well. Now hit the showers kids." Toph gestured towards the entrance of the cave. "It's our turn now."

At this point, Niska and Smellerbee emerged, and to Noatak and Tarrlok's delight, The Kyoshi Warrior was holding two canteens of water just for them.

"Thank the Spirits!" Tarrlok said gleefully as he quickly took the offered canteen from Niska. The Kyoshi Warrior was fully armed to the hilt, with her dual katana sheaths hanging from their armored kimono, along with the dual golden war fans of the elite Kyoshi.

"You don't need us to help?" Noatak asked forcefully, as exhausted as he was, he didn't like the prospect of sitting out on a fight, especially against the Fire Nation.

"We'll let you know if we need your help." Toph said nonchalantly as she walked ahead with confident strides, her tone brokered no arguments, and Noatak knew better than to challenge her.

"Don't worry about us, you've done enough." Niska said helpfully as she passed by Noatak, lightly punching the tired warrior's shoulder with a confident smirk.

"Just sit back and watch."

* * *

Even as they watched the freedom fighters and the Kyoshi warrior file out of the cave. Toph felt a familiar presence keeping watch on her above on the cave walls.

"You sure about this Toph?" Zuko whispered just soft enough to escape detection by others, but not from Toph's hearing.

"It's the best way." Toph replied softly as well, nodding to Zuko.

"We can't have her harmed in any way." The Blue Spirit reminded her sternly, his dual daos and hook blades sheathed, but ready to join in the fight at any time.

"Oh don't worry." Toph smiled confidently. "I didn't spend all this time waiting for Twinkletoes to come back here just to have him die on us again."

"I'll bring her in." She promised, her voice hard as iron.

* * *

Zhenjin smiled thinly as he and his assembled platoons of yuyan archers, as well as the Southern Raiders formed a semi-circle formation outside of the Gaoling mines. From his quick study of the area, this was an abandoned mine, with no other exits aside from this one. His other scouts had confirmed the fact, meticulously combing the surrounding region for more exits.

No, this was it. This was where his life's hunt would end.

"This was too easy to find. It could be a trap." Mako cautioned Zhenjin as they neared the entrance way, and the prince found he had to agree. Indeed, the ease with which they found this location very well meant that it was a trap, but a chance to capture the Blue Spirit. To have him finally show himself was too much of an opportunity to pass.

Besides, Zhenjin had two groups of elite Fire Nation military with him. He was confident he could fight his way through anything the rebels could muster.

"Yuyan archers will take point." Zhenjin said firmly. "Asami, Mako, your squads will stay with me. We don't know whether or not this is a rebel trap, but we'll fight our way through it if we need to."

Korra grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Better orders than the warden gave me. Let's do this."

Zhenjin nodded, raising his arm and about to give the order to have his men move forward.

.

.

.

Then, suddenly, he found himself knocked back off his mount, the air knocked out of him.

Zhenjin fell hard onto his back, with an arrow lodged deeply into the chestplate of his armor.

A Yuyan archer immediately strung up his bow, taking an arrow from his quiver and scanning the nearby trees. Seeing the perpetrator who _dared_ fire on his prince, the archer let loose his bow.

Only to have it snapped in half in midair by another arrow, both of them exploding into splinters.

Before the dazed Yuyan archer could even comprehend what happened, he collapsed without a word onto the ground. An arrow lodged into his back.

* * *

"Great work Longshot." Smellerbee whispered softly to the archer beside her, his eyes focused intently on the crowd of Fire Nation soldiers beneath him. Already, he was stringing up three bows at once from his quiver, eyeing his next targets.

"Kori and Niska should be up next." Smellerbee fired an arrow of her own into the sky, signalling for the rest of the freedom fighters on the field.

It had begun.

* * *

"We're under attack!" A Fire Nation sergeant yelled unnecessarily, even as he felt the ground around him soften into a mud paste, enveloping his legs and trapping him up to his neck as the earth solidified.

By now, a storm of arrows showered the group from the treetops, well placed Freedom Fighters beginning a deadly duel with the famed Yuyan Archers. While this was happening, a second group of freedom fighters emerged from the trees. These ones were a mixture of earthbenders and armed peasants from the looks of it, but they charged with reckless abandon, plunging deep into the fire Nation formation and duking it out with the soldiers.

"Everyone, keep them back!" Asami unsheathed her black blade, slicing three arrows in mid air as they were about to hit her. She then moved on to an earthbender, who tried to smash her face in with an earthen hammer, but she was quicker, and tripped up the Freedom fighter so the burly man fell onto the ground with an unceremonious grunt.

Just as she brought her sword up to finish him off, she spotted her.

In the center of the formation, an iron-clad woman in heavy metal armor approached the Fire Nation formation. Drawing in her breath and firming up her stance, she stomped on the ground with a force that shook the entire battlefield.

The last thing Asami could make out was the huge explosion of earth that sent a wave of rock and dust, several firebenders who had attempted to attack her found themselves blown back by the sheer magnitude of the blast.

Asami cursed as she heard more screams and shouts around her, as the firebenders were randomly shooting in every direction, whilst being taken down by an unseen foe.

Everyone was fighting _blind!_

Then, amidst the chaos of battle, a black blur emerged from the dust cloud, and the Sentinel felt a firm kick to her gut as she found herself falling on her back.

_Someone managed to hit me?_ the Sentinel thought in outrage. _In this smoke-_

She quickly rolled her body to the side, narrowlying avoiding another sword strike from the mysterious figure.

It wasn't until she got up, that she saw the face of her opponent.

_White painted face, dark green armored kimono, and those war fans..._

"A Kyoshi Warrior." Asami said calmly, taking care not to show any surprise. She raised her black blade up to her eye level. "I thought my lady Azula wiped you all out years ago."

The Kyoshi warrior seemed unphased at that remark. "I've been waiting a long time to find you, Sato of the Black Blade. I'm going to take back what you stole from my father." Her voice was venomous, thick with hate, but at the same time. Focused.

"Oh...this?" Asami lifted her black sword mockingly. "I see...it was won from the greatest of your Kyoshi's. A pity she didn't live long enough to see Lady Azula take it from her.""That's fine." The Kyoshi responded tersely. "You'll be seeing me take it back."

Asami gave a predatory smile as she prepared herself in a combat pose. "well then, it would be unfair to have you just know my name. What is yours?"

"Niska. And I'm going to take my father's sword back." Niska narrowed her eyes intensely, unsheathing both her katanas and readying her own battle stance.

The Sentinel merely smirked in response.

"You Kyoshi's are obsolete warriors with outdated tactics. Go ahead and give it your best shot. Who knows? Maybe you'll even surprise me."

With that, Niska rushed forward, and the Asami met it with her own charge. Their blades meeting in the midst of a storm of steel and fire, as the battle raged on around them.

* * *

Zhenjin grunted as he lifted himself onto his knees, the arrow shaft still stuck in his chestplate. It didn't pierce, but it was still impactful enough to bruise his ribs.

_They will pay for this._ He vowed, just as he pulled the shaft from his armor.

Around him, was chaos. A cloud of dust obscured his view of the battlefield, only the sounds of combat echoed around him. The arrow shots of his Yuyan archers mixed in with the clanging of steel blades and the furious roar of fire bursts from his troops. The freedom fighters were clever, but even they couldn't hope to defeat his men, he reckoned.

In front of him, he spied Mako and Korra as they both stood guard, fending off any freedom fighters that tried to attack. One Earthbender charged, lifting a boulder high above his head, intent on smashing the trio to bits. But a quick fireblast from Korra knocked the man off balance, causing the boulder to fall on him instead.

"Are you wounded?" Mako asked, offering a hand to prop zhenjin onto his feet.

"Only my pride." Zhenjin gave a faint smile. "I have to admit, I didn't expect the Blue Spirit to have this much reinforcements."

"It's okay." Mako nodded confidently. "We'll make it through this."

Before Zhenjin could even reply, Korra suddenly made an audible gasp.

"Look!" Korra pointed excitedly past the din of smoke and dust. "I think I see him. He's at the entrance of the cave!" She squinted her eyes just a bit to make sure. The dust and smoke was beginning to clear up, and for the first time, she had a clear view of the mine was no mistaking it. The grey garb, the dual blades, and that mask. It was the Blue Spirit.

And where there was the Blue Spirit.

Noatak and Tarrlok would not be far behind.

Excited, Korra hardly heard the next words that came out of Zhenjin.

"I see him." The Prince nodded, "We'll sort his allies out first, then move in. He's not going anywhe-!" Zhenjin had stopped explaining, because Korra was already bolting towards the cave.

"Wait! Korra!" Mako shouted, but could barely sneak in another word as more Freedom fighters emerged from the trees, rushing the Firebender with swords and spears.

Before Mako even turned around to face them, he felt a burst of super-condensed heat slip past his cheek and towards his opponents, before culiminating in an explosion that blasted the freedom fighters back into the trees.

Mako turned, to see Zhenjin already in his firebending stance. His fingertips still smoking from the attack.

"Don't worry, I'll get her!" Zhenjin replied, and before anyone else could even say anything to stop him, the young prince was already running fast. Following the Southern Raider into the mine.

_That stupid girl. What is she_ thinking?!

* * *

**Next Chapter : The battle rages on, Korra and Zhenjin confront the Blue Spirit  
**

**I originally planned on making the chapter longer, but I prefer to keep the chapters at a reasonable length, to be easily digested and written :) But look forward to the conclusion of this fight in the next update! Once again A BIG ********Thanks everyone for the reviews/faves/reads thus far into the story! :D I really appreciate it!**

**********Some replies to the comments:**

**********Guests **

Yakone********** -** He will be a little bit of both. Military leader, and criminal. But I have a feeling you'll love his role when i introduce him later on :)

Lee - will indeed have a role to play before the earth kingdom arc is up.

**Guest2 :** Those are great points, unfortunately I can't comment on them in detail without spoiling my plans for the future of this story. But you'll see :)

**Rashest Rumble 16 - **glad you liked the chase! Toph does indeed know the identity of the Avatar from Zuko. Tarrlok and Noatak can not bloodbend without a full moon at this point in time, as they are still training under Yakone. I haven't forgotten about iroh or Korra's parents :)

**Uzu-chan** - hopefully this chapter helps speed things along! And yes, Toph is awesome!


	25. Earth Mover

**Chapter 25: Earth Mover  
**

* * *

The freedom fighters had found their hands full dealing with the Fire Nation troops that had walked into their ambush, as they were two groups of elite well trained units. The Southern Raiders and the Yuyan Archers. One had destroyed an entire nation of Water Tribes in the South Pole, while the other was renowned and feared as one of the most deadly trackers and elite sharpshooters in the world.

Yet they didn't stand a chance.

Grounding her stance firmly in the earth, Toph spat derisively as she stared down (_for better lack of a word)_, two full platoons of Southern Raiders and Yuyan Archers. At first, the Fire Nation troopers were confident, the Southern Raiders assuming an aggressive Firebending stance while the Yuyan archers backed them up from behind, stringing up their bows and aiming it all at their opponent.

Then, they saw it. _The Full Metal Armor, and the seal of the flying boar patched on her armored brestplate._

She grinned as she gave them that split second of realization on who they were facing exactly. This was the part of the job she _enjoyed._

"Fire!" A Firebending sergeant yelled in panic, and the fire line of Firebenders took a step forward towards the Earthbender.

But to Toph, with her unnatural 'vision' and Seismic sense, they may as well have been moving in slow motion.

Before the Fire Nation soldiers took even the first step into the ground, Toph stomped her feet downwards sending a shockwave through the ground towards the platoon that suddenly erupted into a blast of rock and dust. The explosion of Earth was so strong, it tossed the armored men back like they were ragdolls.

The cloud of dust however, was not enough to obscure the Yuyan Archers, and they let loose a deadly volley of arrows straight at Toph.

Another stomp into the Earth sent several pieces of debris and rock flying up in front of Toph, each one of them blocking an arrow that had been fired by the archers. Feeling that the moment was right, Toph quickly counter attacked, sending her barrier flying straight at the archers in a hailstorm of rock. The quicker archers quickly dived out of the way, while many more were knocked out cold by the debris.

With her immediate opponents taken care of, Toph gauged her surroundings with her seismic sense. Arrows and fire bursts danced in the air, while swords and spears clanged in the melee. The fighting was pretty much even, with the freedom fighters boasting the numbers but being stalled against the disciplined formations of the Fire Nation Troops.

To a casual observer, it seemed impossible to see anything through the melee, but Toph could see it all, could count in her mind the numbers and the odds. Niska was keeping that Sentinel, maybe the most dangerous opponent on the field, occupied at one end of the battlefield, while Kori was leading some of her Freedom Fighters to occupy the Southern Raiders. Smellerbee and Longshot were distracting the Yuyan Archers with some pinpoint shots of her own from the trees, giving her the opening she needed.

But where was the girl?

Another quick stomp into the ground gave Toph her location. Somehow, she was in the mine, running with someone else.

Towards Zuko.

Momentarily annoyed at having the avatar out of her sight, she quickly ran towards the opening of the mine. _If I can just get there._

Without even looking (_like she ever needed to) _, Toph's arm shot up to protect her face, grabbing an arrow out of mid-air and snapping it in half like a twig. The Yuyan archer barely had a moment to appreciate how she did saw him before he was shot up into the air by a spike of Earth at his feet, Toph having simultaneously launched her own attack as soon as she caught the arrow.

Grinning at her triumph, Toph moved on, but suddenly, she felt the wind of someone rushing past beside her. Before she could stop to assess the threat, Toph suddenly felt several jabs run along the side of her arm and thigh, each one sending jolts of pain through her.

_Chi Blocking? ...no it can't be._ _I'm in full armor..._

Then Toph realized. Her opponent was so precise with her attacks, she had hit her in the exposed, 'cracked' areas of her armor along her leg and elbow.

Grunting, Toph sent a wave of Earth upwards at her attacker, who nimbly dodged it with ridiculous ease. _How did they manage to appear on the battlefield without me seeing?_ She asked, confused at how this new opponent could appear just out of no where.

If Toph had been able to see, she would have saw the amazing sight of a nimble and fast feminine figure jumping tree to tree at the edge of the battlefield, and onto the shoulders of several rebels and Fire Nation troops to reach her location just outside the cave. This new figure was dressed in the manner of the elite guard of the Fire Nation: a red kimono, with black armor and gold trimmings.

Toph propped her wounded arm as she sensed her opponent. She had a presence. Familiar from the past, back in the old days. But somehow _different._

"Long time no see!" The person said lightheartedly, and Toph could just _sense_ the amused smile she wore on her face. There was recognition in that voice.

"You...I know you." Toph said uneasily. "Who are you?"

"I'm the insurance." The figure said simply. "Normally I would fight you for old time's sake, but I have a mission today, I'll need to get into that mine please."

"Well, you're not getting by me sister!" The Metalbender snapped, using her other arm to shoot a metallic cable at her adversary. _If I can just wrap her arms around in that cable, she'll be helpless._ Toph smirked as the cord shot, propelled by her metal bending, veered straight towards her like a bullet.

The figure leapt at the same moment, sidestepping out of the way with tremendous speed. Incredibly, she managed to twist in the air and deflect Toph's attack, and had Toph's other arm not been paralyzed, she would have been able to counter, but such as it was, the next thing the Earthbender felt was a sharp jab into her gut, knocking the wind out of her.

Toph felt the strength in her legs leave her, and she reeled onto the ground.

"That's why I love fighting earthbenders." The figure said cheerfully. "They're so adorably stubborn."

Without another word, she was gone.

Precious minutes passed before Toph regained consciousness. Lying on the ground, prone and battered, she was furious at how she had been beaten so easily like that, and especially how helpless she was at that moment.

"What's _she_ doing here?" She grumbled angrily.

"Toph!" Kori Morishita, seeing the quick exchange, quickly knelt beside Toph. Disguised in her insurgent garb with a dark cloth covering the bottom half of her face, she had finished fighting her way through the Southern Raiders to the General.

"Are you alright?" She asked out of concern.

"I'm fine!" Toph shouted above the din of battle. "Come, we got to move quickly before she reaches Zuko!"

* * *

The Gaoling Mines were a simple enough cave system to navigate. There were a few winding paths and crossroads that would have made navigation tricky in itself, but the glowing green crystals that illuminated the caverns were a huge asset, as they gave her enough light just to see the dark shape of the Blue Spirit in the distance.

Even as she ran after him, she was firing bursts of flame at the fugitive, each one just narrowly missing and harmlessly blasting a slab of rock into pieces.

"You'll want to keep that down, unless you want to bring the whole cave down on us!" Korra turned to see the sight of Zhenjin running just behind her. She was slightly impressed, not many people were able to keep up with her, as evidenced by how easily she had lost her team back in Gaoling.

"Prince Zhenjin!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"Next time, wait for back up." The Prince chastized Korra as the pair ran deeper and deeper into the cave.

"Sorry..." Korra replied sheepishly, "I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright Private Korra. As stupid as it was, I admire that kind of initiative in a soldier. Now let's just get this guy and end our wild goose chance shall we?" Zhenjin said firmly, his eyes blazing with a similar determination at catching his prey.

"Of course your majesty." Korra smirked.

* * *

Zuko sat at the dead end of the cave, waiting patiently. His signature Dual Daos in his arms while his other two hook blades were sheathed on his back. Even as he stood by and waited for his opponent to come, he couldn't help but think how cruel and ironic his destiny had played out. He has spent most of his youth chasing after the Avatar, capturing him to restore his honor. Now, the Avatar was coming straight to him, almost on a silver platter, but capturing her now was not the same. It would not bring him the honor, happiness or the rewards he had wanted in his previous life.

He gripped the handles of his swords tightly, the voice of his uncle echoing painfully in his past.

_You know, Prince Zuko, destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out. But if you keep an open mind and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday._

"I'm sorry Uncle." Zuko whispered softly. He had failed his test once, utterly and completely, and he saw the stab of pain and betrayal that was etched in his uncle's face, even as they took him away to rot in prison. It took a few years to realize the wrong path he had chosen, and decades more to reach this point in his life.

This was his second chance, and even if it didn't lead to the better life and the honor he desired. It was the right thing to do. He wasn't fighting for himself now, but something greater. Failure was not an option.

_Spirits. If there is one thing I can do right. Please let it be this._

His thoughts were interrupted as a pair of footsteps echoed in the darkness ahead, two Firebenders emerged from the darkness. To his shock, one of them was dressed in the gold trimmed crimson armor of Fire Nation Royalty, while the other one, in the dark crimson armor of the Southern Raiders.

The Avatar.

He expected her to have reinforcements, but not from the _prince_ of the Fire Nation. More to the point, he didn't know Azula had a son...and at the moment, he felt the urge to feel pity for that unfortunate soul who would _suffer_ her as a mother. His own painful memories of his upbringing with Ozai didn't make it any easier.

But he had no time to think on that now. He had a job to do, and he was determined to see it through.

"It's over," Zhenjin said authoritatively. "You're tired and you've got no place to go except through us."

"And even if you try to run, we'll catch you." Korra added confidently.

To their surprise, the Blue Spirit stood up in reply. He had the build and height of an adult in the prime of his life and he moved with a confident gait of someone who had seen many battles in his life.

"I'm not running." he said simply, then flashing his dual daos, he charged.

* * *

The Blue Spirit was fast, and Korra instinctively sent a charged fireblast at him, hoping to catch him off balance. Instead of weaving to the side, which Korra was expecting, so that Prince Zhenjin could move in, he simply brought up his dual swords, and met the flame blast head on, dispersing it with a twirl of steel.

That display distracted Korra enough, that she didn't realize that the Blue Spirit was still barreling towards her.

"Watch out!" Zhenjin shouted, a flash of steel glinting in the cave as he locked blades with the Blue Spirit, narrowly stopping a sword swipe at Korra just as she backed away.

"T-Thanks!" Korra unsheathed her own _jian_ uneasily, even as the Prince and the Blue Spirit exchanged several more sharp parries. The Prince was skilled, having been trained in royal swordsmanship by his days in the academy, but the Blue Spirit was not bad himself, flowing and weaving through the prince's strikes like water. To Korra, it was as though both of them were on another level compared to her.

Still, she was determined to do her part, and a sudden inspiration struck her as she recalled her days training with Mako in the South Pole. Gripping her sword tightly, she rushed, intercepting a sword strike that was aimed at the Prince's side. A loud _clang_ resounded in the cave, and Zhenjin nodded to Korra in thanks at covering for him.

The Blue Spirit seemed to almost hesitate in his next strike as Korra locked blades with him, probably from disbelief that she was able to block one of his attacks. Now was her chance!

Remembering her lessons with Mako, she channeled her firebending through the blade of the sword, so that the _jian _seemed to be smoking and glowing red from the heat.

It only took a second for the Blue Spirit to realize what she was doing, and he instinctively jumped backwards, avoiding Korra's next sword swipe that produced a wave of flame that sliced throughout the cave. It was a fast attack, and one that he had barely managed to dodge. Underneath the mask, Zuko widened his eyes in astonishment as he felt the head of the flames singe his mask.

_Did she get __that much stronger in just a few weeks? _Admittedly, he was quite impressed. Few people were able to Firebend with a sword, himself included. Her movements were brash, fluid, and the way she moved with the sword..._ he couldn't help but think of that twelve year old kid, knocking him back so many times airbending with that wooden staff... _

"You're not half bad at this," Zhenjin remarked casually, giving his shoulder an experimental rub as he resumed his fighting stance.

"Thanks." Korra smirked, glad at the praise. "But so is he. We'll have to take him down together."

"Agreed." The Prince said calmly, raising his sword at his opponent, along with Korra.

"Now!" Zhenjin growled, and Korra followed suit, charging the Blue Spirit with a series of ruthless and non-stop attacks. Strikes and Fireblasts were exchanged, again and again, the ringing of steel echoing through the caverns, which were occasionally illuminated by a bright spark of flame. Korra focused mainly on her firebending sword strikes, while Zhenjin was more precise, but as the fight wore on, it became apparent that the Blue Spirit was stopping all their attacks, frustrating both the Firebenders.

Both firebenders soon locked swords again, and they jumped back, breaking off the attack, both of them breathing heavily from their last attack. They eyed the Blue Spirit, assessing his condition. Aside from that singe Korra had burnt into his mask, they had barely even hurt him.

_Is he toying with us?_ Zhenjin thought indignantly. No! As a Prince of the Fire Nation, failure was not an option. If his opponent was experienced, then he would simply wear him down. In frustration, he raised his sword, and moved forward, Korra following suit.

Zuko watched as the pair approached him slowly. They were good, much better than he had expected. But they were no where near as experienced as he was. And he would show them now.

Quickly sheathing his swords, Zuko shot forward, unleashing a strong blast of flame that knocked Zhenjin back with force. The Prince grunted as the firebending took him by surprise, and was knocked back unceremoniously against the wall of the chamber.

_Did he just..._Korra widened her eye in amazement, turning around to see that the Blue Spirit had already closed the distance with her, she tried to block, but the man was much faster, more honed by years of combat. Without a word, Zuko brought the hilt of his sword to the back of her head, knocking Korra down. She gave a sharp cry of pain as she fell.

"Get away from her!" Zhenjin shouted, having recovered from his initial surprise. He advanced, sword in hand, but Zuko was ready. Unsheathing one of his hook swords, he parried Zhenjin's blade, then retracted it back, hooking onto the hilt of the prince's _jian_ and tucking it neatly out of his hand. Before the astonished Prince could react, he found himself flying backwards as Zuko kicked him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.

Zhenjin groaned as he fell to his knees, unconsciousness slipping to take hold over him.

"You've fought well," Zuko said softly, "But this is over."

He stepped forward-

Then, another voice echoed in the chamber.

**"Maybe not just yet."**

Before Zuko could do anything, several smoke bombs exploded in front of him, temporarily blinding him. Someone else had breached the chamber, and he quickly assumed a defensive stance, even as the figure emerged from the smoke. Wearing the crimson kimono of the elite guard, Zuko's eyes widened in haunting recognition as he saw someone from his past life.

"Ty Lee?" Zuko exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Just keeping an eye on things." Ty Lee said innocently as she walked towards Zhenjin's prone body, lifting the young teenager over her shoulders.

Zuko found himself struggling with how to express the swirl of emotions now in his head. It had been years since he had seen her, and from what he remembered of her in his youth, she was so sweet and full of life. Now, his heart almost sank knowing just how much had changed in all those years. He knew Ty Lee was loyal to Azula, but he never imagined it would be to this extent. There was just so much wrong with it.

"Ty Lee..." He almost shouted, his hand shaking as he gripped the sword. "Why are you doing this? We were friends...**Mai** was your friend."

"And she should have known better than to turn traitor." She gave a dark whiff of a smile, which eerily reminded Zuko of his sister.

"You..." Zuko said angrily as he advanced.

"Sorry Zuko," Ty Lee said lightly, oblivious to Zuko's anger. "As much as I would love to stay and fight you. I can't allow the young prince to die today. Azula wouldn't be happy about that. But you, on the other hand..." She produced several metallic orbs in her palm, and flung them towards Zuko.

It only took a second for him to understood what they were.

He jumped back, just as the bombs exploded in a blinding flash, throwing him back and shattering the delicate structure of the cave. Soon, rocks began falling from the ceiling as the surrounding walls shook violently, collapsing. As he took a look at the cavern entrance, he saw that Ty Lee was gone, carrying the prince with him.

That just left...Zuko's eyes widened.

He glanced towards Korra's prone form, lying several meters behind him. The Avatar! He had to save her!

Just as he turned around to run however, a rock column slammed between him and the Avatar, cutting him off.

_No..._

* * *

Korra woke quickly to the sound of falling rock and debris, and even as she rubbed the back of her head in pain, she was conscious enough to notice the falling stalactites from the cavern ceiling. Thinking quickly, she rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a column of rock that fell from the ceiling, exploding into a cloud of rubble.

"Zhenjin?" Korra shouted in the cave as it collapsed around her. "Somebody? anybody! Help!"

Korra coughed through the dust and soot, trying to navigate a way out just as more rocks slammed from the ceiling. One had caught the side of her helmet, and she fell backwards groaning in pain, struggling to find her way out of the collapsing cave.

Gasping for air, the last thing Korra saw was a large slab of rock crashing down onto her, casting its wide shadow over her like a veil of black. She was going to be crushed, she just knew it, and she pathetically threw her arms up to protect herself.

_No! I can't die here, not like this! _

_Not now!_

Suddenly, out of the darkness, Korra saw a blinding light.

Then nothing.

* * *

**Next chapter: To be revealed! XD  
**

**Phew! that was a long one :) thanks everyone for keeping track of this story thus far. I've got a lot more planned, and i hope you enjoy it! Great point Fokusas on the armor/chi blocking bit, i've added a line to explain it, hopefully it is better now. thanks again!  
**

**Some replies to comments that i can't PM**

**RashestRumble** : Thanks! As dark and oppresive this AU is, it's always good to inject some humor into it :) Glad you're liking Zhenjin, as I said, he'll surprise you in the end hopefully :)

Yep I know about the Agni definition, its just that it seems the fandom has accepted it as some kind of deity in the fanfics ive read, just me going with the trend :)

Your idea sounds awesome. One of the few things ive had complaints about in ALTA was just how black and white the Fire Nation army was shown to be, some moral dilemmas and insights for the Fire Nation soldiers were would be interesting to read!

And yes, the warden is based off the one in ATLA that ran the oil rig, who imprisioned Haru. In the AU, the south pole one is his son

**Uzu-chan**: Asami does tend to be a bit more cockier in this version, considering she's an elite guard, but i'll keep my eye on it for future updates :)

Toph is awesome, agreed. And thanks, i'm glad you are liking Zhenjin. TBH, OCs are not my strong points, and i try to limit them, but your description/impression of him is exactly the type of character i am going for

I cannot comment on the speculation lest i give it all away, but you've got some great ideas there :) and some ideas I have played with as well!

I try to update once a week on average.

**Guest2**: I actually haven't put much thought into it actually, so i can't answer that atm, i always think it's best to have the readers decide what voices they want the characters to have :)


	26. Proof of Existence

******Chapter 26: Proof of Existence  
**

* * *

The fighting had been intense, with Freedom Fighters and Fire Nation soldiers burning the landscape and scorching trees in a chaotic melee. Firebenders tangled with Earth and Metal Benders, contorting metal armor, and shooting earth spikes into the crowds of Fire Nation soldiers. Dozens were injured, but many more were still in the fight, not willing to back away from the cave which contained the ultimate prize for both parties.

The fight, for Asami however, was a diversion at best. Both Zhenjin and Korra were in that cave, and they needed back up. But she could do nothing while she was still locked in a duel with that meddling Kyoshi Warrior!

Asami's thoughts however, was suddenly snapped as she parried another thrust from the Kyoshi. The Warrior was holding two short swords now, striking in quick succession. Although Asami's black blade was stronger for the wear, the Kyoshi planned on simply overwhelming her with a barrage of attacks, so far, it did nothing more than annoy her.

"I've wasted enough time with you." Asami said with an irritated scowl, backing cautiously away from her opponent. Her cocky demeanour from before was now replaced with a stern contemplation, her opponent was stronger than she gave her credit for.

Niska said nothing as she backed away as well, focusing on her opponent with grim determination, both stalking and circling each other like two hunters sizing up their kill.

A fully trained Sentinel of Azula was no pushover, and the various scraps and cuts all over Niska's armored kimono were a testament to that fact, but Asami didn't walk off lightly either as Niska managed to land a few more superficial blows onto the Sentinel, a huge gash outlining her armor chest plate, with several smaller cuts.

"It'll take more than swordplay to get past me." Niska said grimly, knowing what was at stake from preventing Asami from entering the cave.

"True, maybe I have underestimated you." Asami admitted grudgingly, using her free hand to reach into one of the pouches behind her. "But it ends now."

Then, before either opponent could move, something happened in the mine.

It was a subtle rumble at first, barely noticed by the warriors in the chaotic melee, but everything seemed to stop when the ground started shaking, followed by a violent blast that erupted from the mine. The top of the rocky hillside where Korra had entered seemed to erupt in a tremendous force of energy, followed by a solid pillar of blinding light that stretched to the heavens.

The explosion was so loud and overwhelming, all eyes on the battlefield quickly turned to the cave and Niska barely saw Asami's as she produced a pair of electrical chi-blocking gloves from her pouch.

* * *

Mako grunted as he parried another spear thrust from a freedom fighter, easily sidestepping out of the way and snapping the spear in half like a twig in a sweeping kick. The Earth Kingdom fighter, an untrained peasant by the looks of it, simply dropped his weapon and ran, only to be replaced by more fighters that began emerging from the trees.

As the Firebender braced himself for his new opponents, he took a look around at the rest of his squad. Prince Zhenjin was busy chasing Korra, and knowing him, he would have caught up to her by now. To his right side, On Ji and Hide were safe for the moment, fighting with the Southern Raiders in a solid formation while the Earth Benders were slagging rocks at them. They weren't going in for the kill, the freedom fighters were too weak to take on the entire Fire Nation expedition, but they were delaying them. That made no sense to Mako, why would the freedom fighters have any interest in the Blue Spirit?Then, the air to stare at the cave, he watched in horror as the entrance way to the mine collapsed under a large explosion, a solid pillar of light erupting from the inside of the cave towards the heavens.

_No..._

"Korra!" Mako shouted, horrified by the sight. Before he knew it, his body was moving on its on volition, he was sweeping the next three freedom fighters aside with a bright cartwheel of flame as he ran. Arrows and rocks bounced off his armor as he ran, but he didn't feel anything, he didn't care.

_Spirits... Please be alright._

* * *

A thousand miles away, on Crescent Island, the Fire Sages working at the Shrine viewed a sight that hadn't been witnessed in over twenty years. Once again, the eyes of the statue of Roku were aglow, announcing the news that they had been their life's purpose up until now.

After the last Avatar had destroyed the temple, Azula had ordered the ruins to be rebuilt, not out of deference to Roku, but as a necessary tool of the throne. She had killed the previous Avatar, meaning another one may return. On the off chance another one was born, she would have liked at least have some sort of early warning sign. That, at least, was why Ozai permitted the Fire Sages to operate even a hundred years after the death of Avatar Roku.

In centuries past, such an announcement would have brought celebrations across the Fire Nation as they prepared to receive the new Avatar.

Now, this message of hope and renewal was simply twisted into an early warning system for the Phoenix Lord's own gain.

"Have Phoenix Lord Azula informed. The Avatar has returned, as she had predicted." The Fire Sage ordered impatiently.

The soldier of the watch nodded, already, the first Messenger hawks were being sent away from the island, making way to the various Imperial outposts across the Fire Nation.

* * *

On the other side of the world, in the furthest reaches of the North Pole, a tribal council was being convened in a secret location. Dozens of leaders and councilmen, each dressed in the traditional dark blue parkas of the water tribe, trimmed with white, sat as they discussed the next phase in their war against the Fire Nation and the future of their own nation.

The talk however, was interrupted as a Wolf Tail Warrior burst into the room, excitement written all over his face. It wasn't until he noticed the stern eyes of the Northern Water Tribe Chief gazing upon him that he recomposed himself, formally saluting.

"My apologies Chief Unalaq." The scout said respectfully. "I believe you should see this. Our Water Sages have reported activity at the shrine of Avatar Kuruk. It may very well be that the Avatar has returned."

Silence filled the Council chamber as each councilman absorbed the news. But it wasn't long before a series of hushed mummers, excited whispers and cheers began erupting from the leaders. It wasn't until Unalaq gestured for everyone to quiet down, did the noise die away.

With everyone settled, the chief continued. "Thank you warrior, we will investigate this immediately." Unaluq turned to a second councilman to his right, nodding. "Councilman Sokka, I believe you should come with me."

As the council members hurriedly got up from their seats to see this miracle, standing in the shadows near the back of the council chamber, Yakone could only smile as he heard the news.

* * *

Zhenjin groaned as he felt the world spinning around him. There was an aching ringing in his ears that sent throbbing pains in his head. An explosion had happened, and the last thing he remembered was fighting the Blue Spirit, defending Korra...Now, he lay sprawled outside the entrance of the cave, where several of his Yuyan archers were already rushing to his aid.

"My lord, are you injured?" One of the Yuyan captains asked seriously, even as he gestured at his guards to form a protective perimeter around the prince.

Zhenjin didn't reply immediately, he checked himself for injuries and took in his surroundings.

_How long was I out? and how did I get out of the cave? _

Better yet, he thought, where was Korra? She was right with him! Zhenjin quickly turned to look at his side, expecting that maybe Korra was the one who dragged him out of the cave, but she was not there. He felt a chill run up his spine as he turned to the entrance of the mine, now smoking and covered in rubble. There was no other explanation, how else could he have made it out of the cave?

"My lord?" the Yuyan archer inquired again. "What are your orders?"

The Prince grunted as he got up, wiping the dirt and grim from his armor. He looked around and saw that the battle was dying down. The force of the explosion had provided a perfect distraction for the Freedom fighters to withdraw, and most of them were already disengaging, pulling back to the trees.

Zhenjin turned and saw the leader of the rebels, an Earthbender in metal armor already gesturing at her Freedom Fighters to withdraw. The men around him asked to pursue the enemy, but he quickly ordered them to stand down. The Freedom Fighters were not his priority.

Even now, the battle was dying down as more Southern Raiders were approaching, and Zhenjin watched with relief as he saw Mako at the forefront.

"Mako." Zhenjin nodded, "Glad to see you're still in one piece."

"You too Zhenjin," Mako said with relief, but worry etched on his face all the same. "Where's Korra?"

Zhenjin said nothing, instead he turned to the entrance-way of the cave. Collapsed rock columns lay sprawled across the opening, piling up to the ceiling in some places. A powerful Earthbender must have interrupted the fight, he reasoned. He couldn't imagine anyone else causing destruction like this.

The implication was clear, and Mako felt his stomach turn as he watched.

Zhenjin however, turned to the Yuyan commander. The next order was tough to give, and the words were almost stuck in his throat, but he learned long ago that it was the price of command.

"Start digging."

Mako felt devastated as he heard the order, as if it was already a forgone conclusion. The Blue Spirit may have been buried amongst the rubble as well, and the Prince needed to know for certain. And if that were true, then Korra...

Korra can't be gone. _She just can't be..._

* * *

.

_._

_._

_._

* * *

_Seven years earlier_

_There was nothing in the cell, no blanket, no cot. Thick slime seemed to run along the walls, as if no one had ever bothered to clean or maintain this part of the prison for years. As such, the stench was horrific. Each breath made Korra want to gag and pass out. Worse still, there were no windows on any side of the detention cell, with the only opening being the cold bars on the steel door that led to the prison hallway._

_"She must be a spitfire this one." A guard spat derisively, "Never seen anyone sent down to the Pit so much."_

_Yes, the Warden called it the Pit. She thought. It was where he had sent his most disobedient prisoners to rot and think on their punishment, and Korra had become very familiar with it. Ever since he had taken her to train in the art of Firebending, her life had been nothing but a living nightmare, even the slightest hint of an infraction or disobedience sent her down here in the darkness as punishment. Her first nights were quite vivid in her memory.  
_

_"Please, just let me out! I want to go home!" She shouted, banging on the door with all her might.  
_

_"I just want to go home..." She said quietly, huddling into a corner and tucking her bruised knees into her chest. "I just want to go home..." __But no answer came as the years drifted by.  
_

_No answer ever came._

_She was scared, cold, and hungry, but she promised herself she wouldn't cry. She had learned long ago not to cry. The ones who cried were the ones who were punished the most. The ones who went without food or blankets. In life, weakness was punished. Weakness was a sin._

___Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the cell door opened up, and Korra felt blinded by the light of a lamp shattering the gloom. She fell back with hands over her eyes. The gratitude of seeing the metal door opened was quickly tempered by fear as she saw the person in the doorway. _

_"I trust you have learned your lesson today my dear?" The Warden said as he calmly entered the cell, his tone parental and calm.  
_

_In the past, Korra would have been rebellious, angry, wild. All of her hatred geared towards this one man who had taken her away from her family.  
_

_"It hurts." she said simply, having lost track of the beatings that the guards had given her during her tenure here._

_"That is the point of punishment." The warden said bluntly. "To instruct. Now, if you behave and do as I say, and I will let you see your parents today, is that understood?"_

_Korra nodded meekly._

_"Good, today is a special day in your training." The warden said with a triumphant smile. "There is someone I would like you to meet."_

* * *

_Present day_

Sweat was running down Korra's cheek as she recalled the memories, her face tensing up in a pained expression. The prison never did leave her dreams, and even now, the painful scars on her back were throbbing her to consciousness. She turned over in her bed sheets, taking comfort in its warmth and hoping it would go away.

_Wait...bed sheets? How long was I out?  
_

Korra instantly shot up and gasped, thinking she had never woken up from her nightmare. But she found that it was no dream. She was covered in bed sheets, laying on a solid mattress in a simple room somewhere. The bed itself seemed foreign to her, she never recalled sleeping in anything so warm, so comfortable or soft.

Taking a look at her surroundings, it seemed like a fairly large room, with no furniture except for a simple table and several stools. There were no windows around her, which meant that either she was in a cell block like in the prison, or underground, both were very viable options considering the last thought she remembered was being underground. Eventually, the lamps and the green little crystals that littered the walls settled the argument for her. She was underground, somewhere...but why? Her head felt battered and bruised as she tried to recall her memory, and exactly how she had gotten to this place.

Then it hit her, she was fighting. _Zhenjin...the Blue Spirit!_

The Blue Spirit had knocked out Prince Zhenjin, so the worst case scenario was that they had were taken prisoner by the Earth Kingdom. _I have to get out of here. _She reasoned. _I ha__ve to save-_

As she was about to jump off her bed, the side of her ribs throbbed painfully, sending aching waves throughout her body. The last fight must have hurt her more than she thought. As she reached around her back to rub it, she noticed that she was no longer wearing her armor. Indeed, rather than the leather padded under armor, she felt the smooth surface of fresh bandages.

Someone had replaced the old bandages from her time in the prison. But why?

Korra however, didn't have time to figure out why, at that moment, she heard the loud clatter of footsteps echoing outside her door, and voices talking.

Panicking, Korra quickly hopped out of the bed, despite the pain, and scanned the room for weapons. _Something_ she could fight against her captors with. Every movement of her body was painful, and she guessed that the old scars on her back must have opened up a little during the battle. Firebending in this dark enclosed area would be tough, but she would have to save it for when she escaped to the surface, she reasoned. She didn't need to set off another cave in.

As the footsteps got louder and closer, Korra settled on the wooden stool by the table, lifting it up and taking her place beside the door, pressing against the wall so she could gauge when the moment was right. They may have caught her, but holding her was another thing altogether.

Whoever captured her wasn't very good at their job. Even though she was hurt, they were naive enough to not even restrain her, and she would make them pay dearly for it!

* * *

Noatak was beyond furious, pushing his way through Toph's guards as he made his way through the underground hideout, seeking his target. For one thing, he didn't like sitting on the sidelines of a battle, as a proud Wolf Tail Raider, it implied that he was useless. Something that didn't flow well with him.

Secondly however, was the fact that Niska was missing after the fight when the Freedom fighters took their roll call. He had assumed the worst at first, and although Niska was tough, the last reports had her fighting a Sentinel in single combat, and he cursed himself for letting them go out alone. When she heard the news, Toph instantly sent more fighters to retrieve her, but in Noatak's mind, only one person would know Niska's whereabouts for sure, assuming she was captured.

And that was why he now found himself pushing his way roughly through Toph's guards, with a relucatant Tarrlok and Kodiak trailing behind him.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Noatak?" Tarrlok whispered nervously even as the pair approached the guards that Toph had set outside the prisoner's area. Kodiak gave a low growl in response, feeling his master's tension.

Noatak didn't reply, he stopped in front of one the metal bending guards, a tall burly man in full armor.

"Where's the prisoner?" Noatak demanded sternly.

"She's currently confined in General Bei Fong's quarters." The guard said calmly. "No one's to see her until the General says so."

"Niska is missing, and she may have an answer for us." Noatak pressed impatiently, knowing that any information Korra may know of Niska would become less valuable as time passed.

The guard, like any stubborn Earthbender, simply stood firm. "The General knows that, that's why she sent Smellerbee and Longshot after them. She'll be safe for now. Just run along and don't tell me how to do my job, okay kid?"

Noatak was just about tempted to show the metalbender a thing or two until a new voice echoed down the hallway.

"Indulge them Saikhan," Toph gave a smirk as she walked down the hallway, flanked by two figures that Noatak didn't recognize. One of them was a heavyset elder in thick robes, while the other was the mysterious swordsman who they called 'The Blue Spirit'. "It's not like they can do much harm anyway."

Reluctantly, the captain of the metalbenders gave Toph an assenting nod, then stepped aside for Noatak to open the door.

"A word of warning though," Toph grinned as she tapped her foot down onto the ground. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Noatak scoffed as he turned to open the door. "Right, what's the worst that could possibly-"

* * *

Korra gasped as she saw the door open.

_Now's my chance!_

With a loud grunt, she swung the wooden stool horizontally across the opening with the full brunt of her strength. And the stool met resistance instantly as it landed right in the face of her target, shattering into several pieces as it made contact. Korra widened her eyes in surprise as she recognized the familiar water tribe warrior.

"Noatak!" Korra said with outrage as she realized the identity of her target.

The Wolf Tail Raider however, just stood there for a split second, too stunned to notice, as if he was still registering the pain.

"_Ow..._" Noatak said at last, then unceremoniously fell onto his back, completely knocked out.

"Brother!" Tarrlok rushed forward to his brother, but was completely taken aback by Korra standing in the doorway, bandaged and wounded, but eyes still fierce with hostility. Korra looked like she was about to use whatever was left of the stool she held in her hand to finish the job, but even as Tarrlok rushed forward, two steel cables shot past him, wrapping themselves around Korra and pushing her a safe distance back.

"I got this, kid." Toph said nonchalantly. "Take your brother to the healing room and let the grown ups handle this one."

Tarrlok nodded, kneeling down he propped up his brother's limp form, while Kodiak helped as well, allowing Tarrlok to prop Noatak's other arm to fall across the Arctic Wolf's back. Either way, he was thankful to be away from having to deal with that crazy Southern Raider.

Toph sighed as she watched the brothers walk away, glad to be rid of that minor detail. She now turned to face the injured, but clearly still feisty teenage girl that she now had wrapped within her metallic cables.

"You're expecting me to talk?" Korra barked angrily, "Well you'll have to do better than that!"

Toph smirked with amusement at the words. _You turned into quite the spitfire twinkletoes._ Between that, and the way she unintentionally showed that hot-headed water tribe kid his place, she liked this incarnation of the Avatar already.

With a filck of her wrist, Toph quickly retracted the cables back, freeing Korra from her restraints. That took her off by surprise, and she found herself backing away from them altogether.

"Some privacy please, Saikhan." Toph gestured back at the captain of the guard, who saluted as he closed the door to the quarters.

After the door closed, Toph casually pulled up one of the remaining stools in the room, and took a seat, as if oblivious to the fact that she had a hostile and hot-headed firebender in front of her.

Korra at first, was completely angry at being taken so lightly, but she noticed afterwards that the person facing her was _blind_. Then how did she...

"I don't know what you're trying to pull with this 'nice guy' routine, but it won't work on me!" Korra declared stubbornly. "I won't tell you anything."

To her surprise, rather than the blind earthbender, it was the elder in the robes who replied, his voice warm and kindly.

"Actually my dear, that is the furthest thing from the truth. We actually have something to tell you."

Korra's eyes widened as she recalled that voice.

_No, it can't be..._

* * *

_Seven years earlier  
_

_The room that the guards led her to was unlike any of the other ones she had seen before. It was simple, clean, the walls decorated with the ornate red pillars and paintings of Fire Lord's past. In the center, was a simple table, and two cups of tea. The Warden had taken every measure to make sure that this guest was accomodated nicely. Unused to such surroundings, ten year old Korra seemed to hesitate as she stood blankly in front of the elderly master, who was peacefully sipping tea.  
_

_"Come little one, please, have a seat." the old man gestured kindly to the empty chair in front of him. "You may call me Mushi."  
_

_Korra said nothing, not knowing what the old man was expecting from her. This just seemed so...awkward.  
_

_The old man chuckled softly, trying to ease the tension he felt from his awkward little pupil. He had trained many recruits by this point, so it was all second nature to him.. "Now that you know my name, how about you tell me about yours?"  
_

_After another awkward, stiff silence, the little ten year old finally replied softly. "Korra."  
_

_"A good, strong name for a strong young lady." The old man smiled._

_It was at that point, that Korra's stomach growled, and the ten year old clutched her gut in embarassment. Fear widened in her eyes as she realized it probably was something else the warden would punish her for, but the old master didn't show any sign of being offended or outraged. Quite the contrary..._

_"You look like you haven't had anything decent to eat in days..." the old master's eyes softened as he looked at her, then he reached into a pouch sitting beside him. "Here, I know the warden may not like this, but this can be our little secret." The old man said gently with a smile, producing a piece of bread that he had tucked away.  
_

_After spending days locked in the Pit with little to no food or water, the sight was too much for young Korra, and she instantly lunged at the food, to the surprise of the old master, devouring it on the spot. As she chewed on the piece of bread furiously, Korra felt the beginning of tears welling up in her eyes as she experienced emotion that she thought she had long forgotten. As she finished the last of the bread, Korra felt a strange contentment for the first time in as long as she could remember.  
_

_Pleased at his gift, the old master smiled._

_"Now, we begin your first lesson of the day. In strategy."_

_"Strategy?"_

_"Tell me young lady, have you ever heard of a game called, Pai Sho?" The old man smiled gently, producing a white lotus tile from his sleeve.  
_

* * *

_Present Day_

"Master Mushi?" Korra blinked in complete disbelief.

Meanwhile, behind the mask fo the Blue Spirit, Zuko almost groaned as he remembered that horrible alias that his uncle had used during their days as refugees in the Earth Kingdom. He could have picked another name when he decided to go undercover in the Fire Nation...it helped that the 'traitor general' Iroh was proclaimed dead by Azula following the invasion of the Black sun, but still...

"Yes Korra." Iroh gave a soft smile, "It has been a while. But please, call me Iroh."

Korra however, was still having a hard time believing that the kindly old master who had taught her and even watched her during her Firebending exam was working with the rebels. Nothing made sense! What was he doing so far away from the compound? And why was he with the rebel earthbender and the Blue Spirit? The Blue Spirit didn't say a word either, he merely crossed his arms, leaning casually against the wall. _He must have pulled me from the cave in._ Korra thought, even as she felt another jabbing pain in her ribs.

"I know this is a little hard to take in at first, but bear with us." Iroh said gently. Korra felt uneasy at the tone the old master was using. There were only oh-so many things they could say at this awkward situation, and she didn't like any of them. She was apprehensive as he spoke the next words.

"You're the Avatar."

A stunned silence filled the room, as if the unspeakable had been pronounced.

Korra meanwhile, gave a dumbfounded blank stare that annoyed Toph, "You know, master of the four elements, saviour of the world? yadda yadda yadda and all that jazz."

Korra didn't reply immediately, a million thoughts swirled through her young mind as she took what she had just heard. Sure, it was odd that she was a firebending Water tribe member, but everyone had told her the Avatar had died years ago without being reborn. Her firebending was probably more luck or some cruel joke by the spirits anyway. Then again, the implication was frightening, was that what her dreams were about? Being the Avatar? but still... there was no way she could be the Avatar, no way.

"Well?" Iroh said, smiling in hopes that it would ease his young ward.

Korra however, replied soon enough.

"Sorry Master...but you're crazy." Korra said, backing away, "You're all crazy you know that?"

The response, needless to say, was not what he was expecting.

"Oh come on kid," Toph groaned, slapping her forehead in frustration, "You would think a _firebending_ water tribe girl would be enough to give it away. Get with the program twinkletoes!"

_What did she call me?! _Korra was furious. "Stop calling me that!" She barked the words out before she even realized it, and she quickly palmed her mouth in surprise. Why did she say that?

Toph, on the other hand, was rather pleased by that response. That was all the proof she needed.

"Let me explain it to her Toph," Iroh said patiently, gesturing for Zuko and Toph to leave. "I think I can help convince her of our cause."

Although it was against her better judgement, Toph nodded. "You've got ten minutes Iroh. We'll be outside."

"I won't keep you waiting long." Iroh promised, just as the two warriors stepped outside and closed the door behind them.

* * *

It wasn't long before Iroh stepped outside, with both Toph and Zuko waiting impatiently for his return. Toph had taken the precaution of ordering the rest of her guards away, so that the corridor was just occupied by them.

"How did she take it?" Zuko asked calmly, his mask off to reveal his lightly scarred face.

"Better than I'd expected," Iroh replied genially. "She only threatened to burn the place down a few times."

"Either way," Toph replied, "We have to get her up to speed."

"Agreed," Zuko nodded seriously. "We have to start her training on the other elements. It's not the way i'd prefer it, but we can start with Earthbending, considering you're here Toph."

"It's going to be tough though," Toph replied, "If she still thinks of herself as a Fire Nation soldier."

"I'll make her see." Zuko said harshly. "She can't stay in denial forever."

At that, Iroh simply shook his head patiently. "It's not going to work this way with her Zuko." the elderly master said calmly, "We have to let her find this out on her own time. The Fire Nation has a lot to her in the past few years. We must approach this delicately."

"We don't have time for delicateness Uncle, we're fighting Azula." Zuko snapped. "She has to start training now."

"I realize that," Iroh agreed, "but I counsel patience, Nephew."

"Sorry Iroh, Zuko is right." The words hung like bile in Toph's throat. "We need the Avatar now, in fact, we needed the Avatar twenty years ago. The world has suffered too long to wait any longer. We'll get it through her skull, even if I have to beat it into her." She cracked her knuckles impatiently.

"I seem to recall a little girl like that once too." Iroh replied sternly, "With everyone telling her all her life what she could and she couldn't do. Are you proposing we do the same to her?"

Toph bristled, slightly guilty at having that memory brought up. "It's different, we don't have a choice."

"We always have a choice." Iroh sighed.

"That's enough uncle," Zuko said flatly. "Digging up anecdotes from ancient history doesn't change what we have to do now."

"Are you so sure? because this all seems very familiar to me." Iroh raised an eyebrow "And don't get me started on anecdotes nephew, I can probably fill a life's story with the ones involving you."

Zuko sighed inwardly, knowing that there were probably a lot of 'questionable' moments in his life that his uncle was present for. Sadly, this was going to be one of them.

"I agree with Toph." Zuko nodded towards the earthbender, who seemed to recoil slightly at that thought. "We have to move forward with this. I saw her Uncle, I saw what she did in the cave back there. She has what it takes to get to the next level."

The trio fell silent as they recalled Zuko's story. How Korra had in that instant, suddenly entered the avatar state. Eyes glowing white, she shattered the Earth column that had been falling toward her, as well as blasting a whole in the ceiling of the chamber, which he used to escape with Korra when she fell unconscious after using her Avatar state for the first time. Obviously, the girl had no memory of it, but the potential was there. He saw it with his own eyes.

"And what do you propose to do? Beat Earthbending out of her?" Iroh sighed, knowing that it was a battle he was probably not going to win.

"I don't see why not. Beating things out of people is my specialty." Toph gave a smug smirk. "Besides, I already have the perfect place in mind."

* * *

**Next up : Korra vs Toph (as she tries to beat Earthbending out of her) XD Thanks everyone for reading/reviewing and keeping up with the story! I really appreciate all the ideas/hints/support xD more to come soon!**

_note: I thought long and hard about how to approach this chapter, and while I know some of you were eager to see the Avatar state, korra hasn't even mastered another element yet! So i don't think it would be appropriate to show it just yet, plus Korra is reasonably skeptical, as befits a person who spent their entire life living the identity of a Fire Nation colonial. Luckily, Toph isn't shy about knocking sense into people :)_


	27. A Rock and A Hard Place

_"Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring."  
_

**Chapter 27: A Rock and A Hard Place  
**

* * *

The abandoned arena was a wreck, a shell of its former self. In its prime, it would have seen hundreds of Gaoling's finest citizens in the stands, cheering on the latest rounds of Earthrumble and other special events. But now, there was nothing. The bleachers were completely empty, the hard stone seats were covered in weeds and grass, while the walls were crumbled and run down, filled with graffiti and cracks.

In the center of all this, was a large stone platform. The battle scars of the past were still evident on it surface, even if they did fade with age. Explosion and scorch marks littered the area, where the rubble was mixed in with old trophies and banners from days past.

Korra shuffled uneasily as she walked to the centre of the platform, led by two metalbenders who had her hands tied with metal cords. It seemed like whatever was about to go on, she didn't have much of a choice in the matter, with an escort of guards always watching her.

_If these guys think I'm the Avatar, they could at least loosen these ropes a bit._ Korra thought gruffly, the steel cables digging in uneasily at her wrists.

Worse yet, they had confiscated her armor and weapons as well. Rather than wearing the crimson light armor that she had gotten so used to, as well as her trusty _jian, _the Earth rebels had made her wear some kind of dark green and white earth kingdom uniform. She was told that it was similar to what female Dai Li agents (whatever that meant) from the Earth Kingdom had worn for combat, but it was a lighter sleeveless version, exposing her arms and belly. They also gave her a set of fingerless gloves and a weird earthbending helmet. Unlike the Fire Nation armor she had known throughout her life, this outfit was completely foreign to her, did they really think she was actually an earthbender?!

"I look ridiculous." Korra muttered as she was led to the center of the platform.

"Nonsense, you look just great Twinkletoes." A smug voice echoed behind her, and Korra turned to see her opponent approach her, wearing her full metalbending armor. She was the general, or at least that was what the metal benders around called her. _General _Bei Fong.

With a simple flick of her wrist, the earthbender had uncoiled the metal cords tying Korra's hands together. As her shackles fell to the ground, she was sorely tempted to Firebend her way out of the arena, starting with the smug blind woman in front of her. But to Korra, it seemed like the rebels had thought of everything. There was a metalbending guard posted at each corner of the ring, while more were stationed around the platform. Although they all stood formally at attention, hands clasped behind their backs, the message was clear to Korra. She wasn't going to be restrained, but it wouldn't take much effort to change that.

Rubbing her sore wrists, Korra turned to Toph in anger. "This is some kind of sick joke right?"

"Nothing's a joke with me." The blind earthbender declared, pointing at Korra. "Here's the thing kid, you're the Avatar, and I'm going to convince you even if I have to beat it out of you."

Korra sighed.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you. But for the last time, I'm not who you think I am. I'm not even an earthbender." Korra snapped, gesturing at her ridiculous green earthbender outfit. "Look, if this is some kind of game, I'd much rather you lock me up right now and stop wasting my time."

"Well you've certainly got the stubborn part of being an earthbender down, I'll give you that." Toph sighed. "This is going to be harder than the first time I've taught you." She shook her head in mock disappointment. "Consider it an honor, very few people would get a second chance with me."

Toph gave a grin that seemed to imply something, as if she was expecting Korra to get some kind of joke. _What on earth is she talking about?!_

Korra didn't even bother dignifying that with a reply, she just crossed her arms in irritation.

Then Toph focused a glare at Korra. "And trust me, I'm quite serious. How about this?" She gave a grin that made Korra slightly uneasy _(heck, everything about this crazy lady was intimidating)_.

"If you can beat me in a match, I'll let you go, no questions asked, and we can forget the whole Avatar thing we talked about." Toph said casually, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Heh. I was hoping you were going to say that." Korra said seriously, assuming an aggressive Firebending stance.

"A hint kid, you're going to need more than firebending to beat me here." Toph said lightly.

The smug and arrogant attitude from the general annoyed Korra, but she knew a thing or two about being cocky as well. "Firebending's all i'll ever need. And _when_ I beat you at your little game, I expect my weapons and armor back." Korra grinned, cracking her knuckles nonchalantly. Headgames or not, this lady was going _down_.

"Oh...really?" Toph gave her neck a casual crack, then grinned. It had been a while since anyone had the spunk to talk back to her like that. She liked this kid. "I think I'm going to enjoy this one."

"Oh trust me, you're getting more than you bargained for!" Korra shouted, then she thrusted her palms forward, sending a massive bolt of flame at Toph.

Rather than dodge like every opponent she had faced so far however, Korra widened her eyes in surprise as Toph simply grounded her feet, meeting her attack head on.

* * *

It didn't take long before the stage erupted into a cloud of flame and dust. Korra sent several condensed streams of flame straight at Toph, but Toph simply crossed her arms casually with that annoying smirk of hers. She assumed a defensive pose, conjuring up sheets of rock from the platform with little to no effort, meeting each and every one of Korra's fireblasts as they neared her target. Although Korra's blasts were strong enough to demolish the rock walls Toph threw up, she wasn't firing enough of them to get through to the immobile general.

Undeterred, Korra rushed at her opponent, both her palms encased in a ball of flame as she sprinted onwards.

As she was running, Korra felt a uneasy tremor at her feet, and following her instincts, she aborted her charge, rolling onto her side just in time to avoid a spike of Earth that shot up into the air, which would have impaled her had she kept running.

It took a second for Korra to process just how close of a shave that was. _She really is trying to kill me._

Focusing back at Toph, she sent two more flame blasts at the Earthbender, but Toph simply conjured up two more sheets of rock to block her attack. The rock shield exploded as the flames made contact, raining dust and smoking rubble down onto the battlefield.

"Is that that best you've got twinkletoes?!" Toph shouted mockingly through the dust. "I may as well break out some tents, this will take a while."

_AGAIN with that annoying name. _Even worse, she was dumb enough to boast. _THAT_ was her mistake.

Running forward again, Korra jumped, performing three spinning kicks and sending three bolts of flame towards the Earthbender-

-only to be hit midair by several fist sized rocks, knocking her back several feet from her target. The flame bolts she fired were diverted off course when she was hit, but Korra hardly noticed as she felt her gut and shoulder bruised by the not-so-gentle rocks.

_How did she know where i was going?!_

Korra cursed, gritting her teeth in pain as she stumbled back to her feet.

She was still exhausted from the fight against the Blue Spirit, and she hadn't eaten in a while, so she was low in the tank when it came to firebending.

Toph, meanwhile, was still there, immobile, completely invulnerable behind her shield of earth and metal. She had fought earthbenders before, and from her limited experience in the Earth Kingdom, they were powerful, but slow, always waiting to ground themselves before attacking. But this one? It was like she was anticipating her moves before she even made them. There was no way she was blind, not even an able Earth bender would have been able to see that attack coming.

Maybe hearing? But that shouldn't be everything, after all, she still had to gauge distance and speed. C_ome on...think korra...think_! M_aybe it had something to do with the way she holds her stance? Or the way she moved..._

Then it hit her! The General was _blind_, therefore, she had to rely on her other senses, including hearing. In her brief moment of captivity, she never noticed the general wearing shoes, always preferring to go barefoot, add to the fact that she always stomped her foot down before an attack, that told Korra everything she needed to know.

_She is so going down now._ Korra resumed her firebending stance, ready to attack again.

Meanwhile at the other side of the platform, Toph felt the subtle change in Korra's heartbeat and breath. It had been eratic and excited just a moment ago, but now it seemed to be steadying, slowing down into a more measured pace. Something was up...

Toph barely had a second to contemplate as Korra prepared to rush Toph again, she was walking slowly, but from the vibrations eminating from the firebender, it sounded like Korra had charged up her palms again with flame.

_Looks like twinkletoes has an idea._ Toph grinned. _This should be interesting. _Then, with another stomp, Toph sent a storm of rocks straight at Korra.

* * *

Meanwhile, from the dilapidated stands of the Arena, a special crowd had gathered to watch the proceedings. Although Toph had cordoned off the area with several of her finest metal bending guards, she allowed them to watch the proceedings. If this girl turned out to be the Avatar, they would need to know after all.

"Wow! Look at them go!" Tarrlok shouted in amazement, his jaw almost hitting the floor as he watched the advanced forms of two other bending arts colliding in the brutal contest. From what he could gather, Korra had the advantage in speed and mobility, but Toph was able to counter it with the strength and durability of her earthbending, which had withstood several of Korra's blasts. To an inexperienced warrior, it was a classic unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

"Go mom!" Lin cheered, giggling slightly as Kodiak gave her a playful lick. The Arctic wolf was becoming quite attached to the young Earthbender, and even Noatak and Toph eventually agreed on having Kodiak around as a playmate and bodyguard of sorts for Lin, who, true to form like her mother, showed no fear of having a dangerous Arctic predator as a pet.

Noatak, his head freshly bandaged from that unfortunate _"_incident" with the stool, observed the proceedings with a more analytical eye.

"She's got a pretty good head for tactics." Noatak said gruffly, giving Korra that silght concession. Everything he had known up to that point about her was just a hot-headed aggressiveness that bordered on rashness.

"Yeah, but my mom can kick her butt any day of the week!" Lin declared proudly.

"Don't be so quick to underestimate the young lady." The old man, whom they were introduced to as 'Iroh', said calmly. "She has a lot more to offer than you think, and she can surprise you, as you probably found out the hard way."

Noatak felt his forehead throb slightly as he heard the old master make light of his injury. It was a sneak attack! How was he supposed to know-

"She got you pretty good Noatak, you have to admit." Tarrlok snorted, then quickly shut up when he saw the glare that Noatak returned to him.

"I don't trust her." Noatak said venomously. "Even _IF_ she was the avatar by chance. That only makes her more dangerous, knowing where her loyalties are."

"It's not her fault that the Fire Nation chose to lock her family up to get her to hunt you." Iroh said calmly, in a tone that was meant to suggest that everything she had done up to that point was forgiven, and that annoyed Noatak.

"Besides, I believe everyone is capable of having a second chance." He said genuinely.

"We'll see." Noatak said skeptically.

"Do you know why I invited you up here to watch?" Iroh asked cordially.

"You actually didn't invite us," Tarrlok corrected the old master. "I think you just followed us up here."

"Ah, I guess you tend to forget these details in my old age." Iroh gave a hearty chuckle. "Nevertheless, once we prove it to her that she's the Avatar. I think Korra will need all the help she can get on this journey. The previous Avatar was lucky enough to have friends such as Toph to aid him on his quest. If she is to get anywhere, she'll need strong companions to guide her, and from what the freedom fighters have told me, I think you two are just the ones she needs on her quest."

"Really?" Tarrlok asked, completely unnerved at the idea of having to work with the crazy firebender who had been chasing them halfway around the world, but if what the old master said was true...the prospect of adventuring around the world with the avatar was an exciting prospect, something no Wolf Tail raider had ever done!

Noatak however, was more skeptical, the bruise on his forehead seemed to throb in pain even as he recalled several of their last encounters. "_As if I'll ever work with her." _he muttered, too softly for Iroh to hear. His focus instead, was on the match below.

* * *

_Now's my chance! _ Korra took a deep breath, knowing that this would be her last, best chance at making a dent in Toph's earthbending armor.

She dived forward, dodging the rock storm that was sent flying straight at her. Just as she was about to make contact on the ground with her hands however, she sent a strong burst of flame downwards, propelling her up as she did a cartwheel of flame towards Toph.

Sensing the flames, Toph quickly threw up a protective sheet of Earth in front of her, which was sliced into two as the flame wheel struck, dissipating upon impact.

Still in the air, Korra then shot the flame blast she had built up in her other hand at a downward angle, propelling her forward towards Toph. _Let's see her block this now! _Korra grinned in triumph, she hadn't touched the ground since doing the first cartwheel from her feet, having used her firebending to propel her into the air, Toph was probably thinking she was going to land a short distance away from when she originally jumped.

But now, Korra was using her other palm to literally blast her way through the air straight towards Toph like a jet, without ever touching down on the platform. There was _no _way she could know that she would be landing almost right on top of her, until it was too late that is!

Using her other hand to charge a fire blast, Korra eagerly prepared to lay the fatal blow in anticipation.

Then, To Korra's surprise, Toph lifted her head eerily to face Korra, and she smiled.

Another boulder slammed upwards from the ground, catching Korra mid-air and knocking the breath out of her, throwing her back even further down the other end of the ring.

Having skidded to a stop just feet from the platform edge, Korra shot up in amazement from the last attack. "How did you see me? I wasn't touching the ground!"

"Let's just call it my little secret." Toph smirked. "I've fought hundreds of Firebenders these past twenty years kiddo. I know all their movements inside out. You're gonna need a new trick if you want to beat me."

_This isn't fair, the whole arena is her weapon._ Korra gasped, she found she barely had the strength to firebend anymore. Having been weakened from the repeated blows of the previous consecutive fights she had been in. Even now, she found her head spinning slightly, whether it was from the lightheadness of being pelted by rocks or the aching hunger in her stomach, she didn't know. She needed more time.

Toph however, wasn't giving her any more. "You're out of breath, and out of luck. No more dodging, no more firebending. It's time to face your problems like an earthbender. HEAD ON!"

At that exclamation, Korra felt the ground upend itself around her as walls of rock sprouted up behind and beside her, boxing her in and forming a long narrow corridor leading to the other side of the platform, where a gigantic boulder, several times the size of a normal person, erupted from the ground at Toph's feet.

With barely a second's notice, she sent it barrelling towards Korra at tremendous speed.

Toph gritted her teeth nervously, the boulder was moving faster than she had anticipated, and she didn't want to cut it too close before she needed to step in. But if what Zuko told her was true, she needed to feel threatened before using the avatar state, the tricky thing, as always, was with the timing.

_Come on twinkletoes. Come on..._

Korra gasped as she watched the rock fly at her. At that point, she was too exhausted to move, much less dodge or firebend, and she froze in place as the gigantic rock rolled towards her. Memories of the cave in and her near run in with death flashed through her eyes, and she felt the panic and adrenaline pump into her veins as the rock got closer.

_no. Not again! _She wanted to break the walls around her, but she knew instinctively that there was no time to turn around and blast the wall apart and escape before the boulder hit her. That left only one option, and she gulped nervously as she contemplated it.

There was no place to go but forward.

Gritting her teeth, Korra gave a shout and lunged blindly, hoping whatever energy she had left would form enough flames to blast the rock apart.

"Come...on!" she shouted one last time, focusing everything she had _forward._

The arena fell silent. and time slowed to a crawl as Korra made impact with the boulder...

.

.

.

.

...which suddenly exploded into a cloud of dust and rubble as it made impact. The force of the explosion was so strong, even the rock walls around the platform collapsed, falling apart as the remnants of the boulder were sent crashing off stage.

The metal bending guards, and the spectators in the arena sat in stunned silence as they saw the sight. Everyone was speechless at what they had just witnessed.

Save for one person.

"See?" Toph said with a triumphant grin on her face. "I knew you had it in you! You're an earthbender."

It took Korra a few seconds to even register that Toph said something. Instead, she stared blankly at her own fists, which were covered in dirt and grime.

"Did..." Korra blinked in amazement at Toph, "Did I just..." but before Korra could finish, her eyes quickly drooped in exhaustion, her whole body swaying from the trials of the day.

"Uh-oh," Toph shouted to one of the guards standing by, "Quick! Somebody catch her! I think she's going to-"

Before Korra knew it, her vision blurred into nothingness once again.

* * *

It didn't take long for the arena was cleared again. Having given instructions to Kori and Saikhan, the Avatar was carried back to the healing rooms to recuperate and rest, for what would hopefully be the start of her Earthbending training. The water tribe kids and their wolf were busy doing their share, patrolling the grounds while keeping an eye on Lin for her. Zuko, well...he was off brooding somewhere, as usual.

Which left only Iroh as Toph said down casually in her room, pulling up one of the remaining stools for the old master before sitting down herself. She didn't mind. She quite enjoyed his company, going as far back as that time when she had found him randomly travelling alone, back when she was still finding herself and her own role as part of the group.

_I miss those days._ Toph thought wistfully as she felt a helping hand lift the tea pot in front of her.

"That was quite a little stunt you pulled out there." Iroh said calmly, pouring a cup of tea for Toph and himself. "It looked like you were about to kill her."

"Don't worry about it, I had it perfectly under control." Toph remarked almost sarcastically.

"I'll choose to believe you Toph." Iroh chuckled softly. He was worried for a second, but he had no doubt that if that situation called for it, either he or zuko would have jumped in to save her. "And I'll admit, your idea worked."

"Yes," Toph nodded, but not with the satisfaction that she would have shown before. She didn't get that much enjoyment from threatening teenagers after all. "Now the hard part begins, I have to train her."

"You've done it before." The old master said with encouragement. "I'm sure you can do it again."

"I'm going to be a lot tougher on her than i was on Twinkletoes."

"I'm sure Aang will understand." Iroh replied, sipping his tea.

"She's not like Aang." Toph countered, "She'll be an interesting one for sure..."

"I'd never known Toph Bei Fong as someone who gives up." Iroh chuckled.

"I didn't say I'd give up." Toph snapped. "I just said it wouldn't be easy."

Iroh nodded, both of them settling down into an uneasy silence as they contemplated the future ahead. How would the young avatar face her destiny? Now that she knew...

After what seemed like an eternity. Toph spoke, "To tell you the truth, she almost had me back there. I knew she was coming at me from the air, but I guessed the distance wrong at first."

"Oh?" That bit surprised Iroh more than anything, something catching Toph off by surprise...

"She would have had me if I wasn't wearing this." Toph pointed at a wristband she wore underneath her armored cuffs.

"What is it?" Iroh asked curiously.

"It's an old bracelet Sokka gave me*******, I've found that it vibrates with certain types of people I recruited for our cause, depending on their emotional state when they're near it."

Iroh nodded softly, letting Toph continue.

"I'll be honest. It's amazing that she is attuned enough to earthbend at this stage...even with her firebender mental block. " Toph said seriously. "In fact, I think she has the potential to be a metal bender as well."

* * *

**Next up: Korra is an earthbender! And The Southern earth Kingdom prepares for war on the Fire nation. **

**[***As seen in "The Promise" - Toph wears a special bracelet made from Sokka's meteorite rock that she used to detect and recruit students with Metalbending potential to her school. Something I'm hoping the show will answer...as to whether Korra can metalbend? Well, the canon did make a point of saying metalbending was influenced by pain and pressure ;)...]**

**I was very nervous about this chapter because this is the first definitive time in the story where Korra realizes she can bend another element, so it is obviously a huge part of the story and where the plot goes afterwards. thanks everyone for the comments and reads, as well as the follows, i don't think i've ever had a story with this many followers :) loving all the input as well from you guys, it really helps and i welcome it XD**

**Uzu-chan - **The earthbending is more of a matter of convenience of the moment. Korra is in the Earth kingdom with Toph on hand, whereas the water tribes are isolated on the other side of the world. It made more sense from Zuko's POV to start earthbending while they were there. And yes, force earthbending out of her through a life-threatening situation :D

**Rashest-Rumble -**Thanks for the review! Iroh, is just footnote in the history books in this AU considering who won the war, so Korra wouldn't know about him. and yes! I rather liked On Ji and hide when i saw them on that episode with the Headband :) but they never appeared again, so i included them in. I'm looking forward to your story!

**Reviewer:** yes this is a younger/weaker version of Noatak atm, but don't worry, this will be addressed with later chappys!


	28. The Burden of Destiny

**Chapter 28: The Burden of Destiny  
**

* * *

The plateau was an unremarkable place, devoid of landmarks save for an endless stretch of barren land that eventually led to the rocky canyon of the great divide. From time immemorial, the plateau, and the desert roads that branched through it, served as a valuable connection between the coastal cities of the west and south to the great city of Ba Sing Se. In better times, this network of roads gave birth to several small villages and tribes, such as the Gan Jin and the Zhang, who made lives for themselves in this harsh, unforgiving landscape. Chin the conqueror had seen the value in this patch of land, and many battles had been fought here, leading up even to the hundred year war, where many a Fire Nation general had seen the value in controlling the desert roads leading to Ba Sing Se. More recently, it was said that the previous incarnation of the Avatar had traveled these roads as well to head north on his journey.

Now, the plateau was littered in the ruins of the previous war. A scattering of ruined villages and crumbling homes were all that were left of the once great tribes that lived on the plain, having long abandoned their homelands in the face of the constant conflict and strife. Battle scars littered the land, from the scorched skeletons of forests that resulted from the day of the Great Burning, to the ruined husks of old Earthbending and Fire Nation tanks. Bleached bones and rusted armor littered the land as well, denoting the battles that had been fought to preserve the independence of the Southern Earth Kingdom.

Today, however, the Earth Kingdom would do more than simply defend.

Hundreds of flags fluttered in the air as the divisions of the Earth Kingdom soldiers stood in solid formation. At the front, were columns of heavy Earthbending Caterpillar tanks, each one armed with the latest in the Earthbending cannons that were devised by the Mechanist.

Opposing them, blocking the great road through the divide to Ba Sing Se, was the Crimson Army. The Fire Nation's main army operating inside the Earth Kingdom. Numbering just as large as the Earth Kingdom's army, they were a terrifying presence with their crisp banners and formations, all the while spearheaded by a group of at least a hundred of the Firebending Tundra tanks.

In times past, such a sight would have intimidated any Earth Kingdom General, knowing just how badly outgunned they would be by the Fire Nation's superior weaponry and technology.

But not today.

In front of the Earth Kingdom army, a cavalry scout sped towards their position, the ostrich horse crowing in protest as its rider pushed it to the limit, throwing up a tremendous cloud of dust in its wake.

At the center of the formation, guidons and banners fluttering about, General Giam stood calmly, sporting the heavy dark green armor of an Earth Kingdom general. He brushed his chin silently as he watched the pristine military order with which his opponent advanced. Even if they were Fire Nation. An army on the march was a beautiful sight indeed.

The cavalry commander quickly stopped beside the general as he appreciated the view, saluting formally.

"Sir," Lee said crisply. "My men have confirmed that the enemy advancing is the vanguard. The main armies of General Ruon-Jian, and the Crimson Armada are maybe a few days behind."

_So Azula is taking us seriously after all...excellent._ Giam grinned as he took in the news. The Crimson Armada was the name of Admiral Chan's fleet. No doubt that he is bringing up the Airships in support as well to assist Ruon-Jian's land army. That was perfect for his plan. Once he destroyed both their forces on the field, Ba Sing Se and Yu Dao would be defenseless, their garrisons stripped bare and undermanned. Ripe for the picking.

Now, Giam thought, Now was the chance they were all waiting for. To finally avenge the humiliation twenty years ago. _Of A hundred years ago!_

"Men of the Earth Kingdom!" Giam turned to his troops, his voice booming across the thousands that had gathered on the field. "Men of Ba Sing Se, Of Omashu, of the Gan Jin and the Zhang." Shivers went up the spines of several of the troops as the general recounted the names of tribes long destroyed and cities lost.

The General swept his arms in a dramatic fashion towards the wall of Fire Nation troops marching towards them, a huge cloud of dust thrown up by their very steps. "Today, is your day! It is the day we reclaim what was once lost to us!"

The troops roared in response. A long guttural cheer of rage and anticipation. They could not be held back this day, and Giam was all too happy to release them towards their enemies.

"Let it be recorded here, that today is the day the Earth Kingdom wins back its honor!"

Giam turned to Lee.

"Send word to Teo, I want his tanks to lead the assault. They shall have the honor of the first blow."

"Of course General." Lee saluted, then galloped his Ostrich horse to the tank columns.

Giam raised his hand in a tight fist, "All legions. Advance!"

The Earth Kingdom troops cheered, swords and spears waving in the air, while the Caterpillar tanks roared forward, propelled by the Earthbenders within. The Fire Nation troops, not wanting to seem like they lacked temerity, responded with their own cheer and charged.

The waves of soldiers did not slow or waver as they closed in, one side confident in their weapons and backed up by a century of victory and military tradition, while the other side was grim, determined; bent on restoring their honor and inflicting their revenge on a bitter foe.

The first clash happened as the Caterpillar Earth Tanks met the Tundra tanks in the open field. Crimson lances of flame and bombs flew at the Earthen tanks, scorching their armor and treads in a cloud of flame and dust. For the Earth soldiers charging, it seemed as though a wall of fire had lit up the tank line.

Then, to the surprise of the Fire Nation tanks, the Earth Tanks survived, their thick armor emerging unscathed from the initial assault. More than that, the metal compartments at their sides opened up, revealing dozens of cannon that quickly pointed at the Fire Nation army.

With a thunderous roar, the entire Earth Kingdom line erupted into smoke and at long last, battle was finally joined. Even miles away, the detonations of the cannon blasts echoed throughout the rest of the day.

* * *

Night had fallen, and the digging at the Gaoling mines had gone longer than he wanted. It had been two days since the cave in that had trapped Korra and the Blue Spirit in the mines, which obviously ran deeper than he had originally thought. Even if by some miracle they had survived the initial cave in, starvation or injuries would have done the trick, as neither of them were Earthbenders. It didn't help either that they didn't have any Earthbenders among them. As soon as the cave in had happened, Zhenjin ordered a local Fire Nation colony to send its Earthbending Penal Battalion over to unearth the mine, but even that work was slow in itself. Although Earthbenders themselves, the slaves were little more than dumb brutes, unskilled labourers that were only able to bend in the crudest sense of the word.

As night fell, and the men retired to their camp, Zhenjin watched in growing frustration at the delay in the work. Not just in capturing the Blue Spirit, but in rescuing Korra. He hadn't known her long, but it dug into him to lose anyone under his command or leave anyone behind. As far as he was concerned, it reflected poorly on him as a leader.

More than that, she was a worthy warrior and a loyal soldier, something that he both admired and needed right now if he were to ever achieve his goals.

His thoughts however, were interrupted by the work of shovels in the darkness, and Zhenjin squinted his eyes as he walked towards the worksite, his ever trusty pair of Yuyan Archers walking with him as a protective escort. Was this a trick by the resistance? To attack now? He had already carefully placed his elite archers in a ring around the camp perimeter, there was no way anyone could sneak in.

His fears were quickly allayed as he saw the familiar grimy faces of three Southern Raiders as they worked the dig site.

"What are you three doing up here?" Zhenjin asked "You should rest, you've been at it for hours already today."

Mako, On Ji and Hide paused out of shock at having the Prince visit the front lines of the dig site, especially at this late hour. As the three hastily threw up a salute, Zhenjin waved it down.

"There's no need for you to be here, I'll have the Penal Battalions get to work again first thing in the morning."

"Sorry Zhenjin," Mako said helplessly. "But if it helps us get to Korra faster, we don't mind."

"I'm sure she's safe." Zhenjin said uselessly, cursing his own helplessness. "In any case, it won't help anyone if you're all exhausted. I need my soldiers fresh for the fight ahead."

"But-" Mako protested.

"Enough." The Prince cut him off bluntly. "Get some rest, that's an order."

Before the three southern raiders could do anything, a Yuyan Archer on a Komodo Rhino trotted up to them, the man holding a message in his hands.

"A message for Grand Prince Zhenjin!" The courier shouted.

"Bring it here." Zhenjin barked impatiently, gesturing at the man to hand over the scroll. Without wasting a second, he opened it after snatching it from the man's hand.

"What's going on?" Mako asked curiously, climbing out of the dig site while Hide helped an exhausted On Ji up as well.

After scanning the contents of the scroll, Zhenjin gave a surprised look on his face. "It's a message from General Ruon-Jian." He had not seen the general since making landfall in the Earth Kingdom, why would he send a message to him-

"The Earth Kingdom Army has defeated one of our armies north of Omashu." He read the message out loud, not believing what he had just said. Surely this was a trick?

Hushed silence followed as the surrounding entourage took in the latest message. A Fire Nation army losing to the Earth Kingdom? Such a thought was unfathomable for a hundred years!

"The Southern Earth Kingdom is making its move towards our colonies on the coast. Ruon-Jian wants us to bring the Southern Raiders and Yuyan Archers to defend the colony at Yu Dao from Giam's forces. He and Admiral Chan will use the main army to defend Ba Sing Se."

Mako felt his gut twist as he heard the name. The Earth Kingdom was attacking his home town? What about Bo-

_No._ He's safe in New Ozai at the moment. It was Korra he was more worried about now.

"We can't leave Korra behind." Mako said seriously.

"I don't intend to, we're not leaving here without her." Zhenjin said seriously.

"We can't refuse the order sire," The Guard Captain next to the prince reminded his master. "It's co-signed by Phoenix Lord Azula herself."

Zhenjin burrowed his frow at that remark. This must be a matter of the highest importance if his mother had put her own signature on it. Then, without another thought, he crumpled the message in his hand, letting it burst into flame as he bent it to ashes.

"There's still time yet." The prince said, then turned around to walk back to the camp.

"What are you doing?" Mako, surprised at how abruptly Zhenjin was leaving, barely had time to stop him with the question.

"Something that I don't need you to get involved." Zhenjin said seriously, "But it'll help us find Korra."

"I'll come with-"

"No." Zhenjin said firmly. "Stay here, and supervise the dig. I'll be back soon enough."

Not even giving Mako time to respond, the Prince turned and continued walking back to camp.

* * *

Dinner was a mundane affair at the secret underground rebel base, but today was a special day considering the special guests that had shown up. Aside from the regular freedom fighters, there was Iroh quietly enjoying the roast duck that had been prepared by a local chef, Lin was having fun with hew new friend, Kodiak the Arctic wolf and Tarrlok, while Zuko, as always, had to be separated from the main group, lest anyone catch onto his identity. Still, that didn't stop several of the resistance members from joining dinner, all of them eager to partake in the celebrations themselves.

After all, there was much to celebrate with the return of the Avatar.

Only two people didn't seem to be enjoying themselves, that uptight Water Tribe kid with the Wolf Tails, and surprise surprise...the _Avatar._

Toph rolled her eyes to her side, where the girl (_Korra_, Iroh reminded her) sat quietly, staring blankly at her plate. Toph couldn't help but feel an ounce of sympathy for the poor kid. Who knows how many thoughts were going through her head right now? Still, an ounce of sympathy wasn't enough to override the annoyance she had at her dumbfoundedness.

She was an Earthbender, what was not to like about that?_  
_

"It's okay." Toph turned to Korra sarcastically, "I know you're speechless trying to think of ways to thank me. But don't worry about it."

"You could have killed me." Korra said flatly.

"Comes with the job I'm afraid." Toph said as she happily chomped on a piece of sliced duck. "Being the Avatar and all."

"I can't believe it..." Korra said softly, as if she were still processing what had happened two days ago. "I just...did it."

"You faced your problems head on." Toph said with a familiar pride in her voice. "You have what it takes that's for sure to be a great Earthbender."

At that point, Toph felt a tug on her sleeve as Lin pulled up beside her. "But mom, I thought you said I was the best Earthbender!" The little girl pouted.

"Actually, that is still me." Toph grinned, giving Lin a playful squeeze on her cheeks. "You have a long way to go before you can say that. Now finish your soup and go to bed, or I'll call the Melon lord to come and eat you."

"Oh Pleease Mom." Lin crossed her arms. "That trick worked when I was maybe two? He's not real!"

"Melon lord will be real enough to you when you realized you'll be grounded for a week if you don't do as he says!" Toph sneered with a grin.

"That's not fair!" Lin protested, but at that point, Toph nodded towards Tarrlok.

Iroh chuckled at first at Lin's barb, but he turned to Korra seriously, although he began genially, patiently enough. "Korra, I think it's time we talked."

"You think so?" Korra said in irritation. "You've almost killed me, and now you've gotten me to train for something that I didn't even know existed until two days ago."

"Heck, three days ago, I was chasing those two clowns across the ocean." She gruffly pointed at Noatak and Tarrlok.

Noatak seemed angry at that remark, but before he could even reply, a subtle jab from Toph told the brothers all they needed to know.

"Noatak, Tarrlok can you help Lin to her room?It's way past her bed time, and I've got some business to deal with here. I'll talk to you two later."

Noatak, who had maintained a stony silence for almost all of the dinner, thought better than to say anything. Indeed, he nodded. "Come on Tarrlok, let's go." The pair got up, taking the young Earthbender with them as well. The rest of the freedom fighters, sensing that it was time to be dismissed, followed suit, until it was only Iroh, Korra and Toph in the room.

Indeed, she remembered the last two days vividly, with Toph doing everything from throwing rocks at her to getting her to move rocks of her own free will, instead of doing it when her life was threatened. So far, the results weren't as good as they expected, but there was potential there. Korra was able to bend isolated rocks, small ones, but not to the point where she could manipulate anything larger than a boulder.

"So...what now?"

"Now? I'll keep training you, show you the ropes on Earthbending. You've gotten the basics faster than I thought you would, so once we finish with that. We'll figure out how to help you reach the North Pole for some Waterbending, then, we'll take down the Phoenix Empire together." Toph responded as though that were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Maybe a little bit at a time first." Iroh said calmly, trying to soften the blow as much as possible for Korra's no doubt aching head. "Usually we don't tell the Avatar until they hit their sixteenth birthday, it was just a little later for you."

"Why me?" Korra asked softly. She had dreams before, and vaguely recalled what the Avatar was from them, but what Iroh and Toph had told her over the last two days about what being the Avatar really meant...on one hand, it excited her, having to know that she could bend all four elements, but at the same time, it was _terrifying_.

"Korra, I know this is a lot to take in-"

"I'm sorry Mushi...-Iroh, but I need time to think about all of this."

Without another word, she quickly shoved herself up from her chair, and walked out of the room.

"She's gonna be a tough one to get through to." Toph grumbled.

"Yes, but this is something we must give her time for." Iroh reassured her with a smile. "She'll come around soon enough."

* * *

Indeed, a thousand thoughts swirled in Korra's head as she walked down one of the Earthen tunnels on the way to her room. She had an escort of two metalbenders with her, who kept a close eye on her as they paced down the corridor, the tunnel walls lit by green crystal lamps.

Even as she ran, she tried several experimental earthbending techniques along the way, levitating a pebble here and there, or kicking a rock and stopping it before it hit a wall. Despite the annoying glares of the guards, she found it quite entertaining. It was a thrilling, wonderful experience to be attuned to a completely new element. It was like discovering how to walk again, and Korra didn't feel this joyful about an experience since she first discovered she was a Firebender, but even that came with a catch, she grumbled.

Now, I'm the freaking Avatar! With_ me, even a gift is a curse._ She grumbled softly.

But what did that mean now? Did she have to start fighting the Fire Nation? Part of her didn't mind, remembering the stories of how the Fire Nation had destroyed her people of the Water Tribes, and true, she had no love for the Fire Nation, especially for men like the Warden or Rho, but like it or not, it was all she knew in her life.

It was in the Fire Nation where she first learned how to fight, to survive. It was where she made friends, an identity for herself, and like it or not, it was her home. If what Toph said was true, did that mean she would have to fight against that?

The conflict inside her was almost unbearable, and Korra could swear her head would physically rip into two if she thought about it any longer.

Did the world even need an Avatar anymore? _I mean...it's already missed one for over a hundred and twenty years...maybe this is just a mistake..._If she really was the Avatar, and what they said was true...

Could she really fight against her friends? The ones who took her in and helped her? What about Hide, On Ji...Asami.

_Or even Zhenjin. Or Mako?_

She sighed. As tough as it sounded, a decision had to be made.

She knew what she had to do.

* * *

It didn't take long before the guards settled into their normal routine, which was falling asleep in front of the chamber door that they had Korra locked in. Normally that would have been enough to seal her in, but that was before they forcefully showed her the potential she had as an earthbender.

Now, sitting in front of the wall in the chamber, Korra waved her arms towards the wall, hoping for a reaction.

_Come on Earth...BEND!_

Not even any movement. Unlike a small pebble or rock, the _wall_ of the cave was part of something greater, like a mountain or the earth itself. It just felt too _heavy_ and _stubborn_ too tough.

_No, there must be a better way to do this._ _A rock is just that. Rock, i can't let it beat me. I have to be tougher than it._

She recalled Toph during her fight against her. How she grounded herself firmly in a horse stance, forcibly ripping the earth from the ground and bending it to her will. Unlike Fire, which was an element that she conjured, Earth was something external that she had to control, and bend to her will.

_Okay...let's try this again._

She grounded her stance firmly, taking a deep breath and focused all her Chi into her gut.

_Come on...come on..._

"Bend!" She thrust her arms aside, sweat pouring down her forehead as she forced herself to stick to the technique.

At that gesture, the rock walls of the chamber seemed to shift slightly at her movements, opening up a small dent in the wall.

Pleased at her work, Korra couldn't help but celebrate with a strange pride.

"Aw yeah! Korra, you rock!"

* * *

It didn't take long before Korra found herself at the entrance way to the ruins of the Gaoling estate. Having slipped past several guards who were either bored out of their skulls or simply catching a snooze. If anything, Korra thanked the lucky stars that the famous Toph Bei Fong was a pretty heavy sleeper herself.

Having slipped into the pantry and scrounging up a few supplies into a light pack, Korra was almost home free and out the door when suddenly, a portly shape blocked her path just before she opened the entrance.

"Nice night for an escape isn't it?"

Korra physically cringed and froze as she heard the voice behind her. One shout was all it would take for the guards to come down on her, and maybe even chain her up this time around.

Yet, the figure didn't say anything, and Korra turned, to see an elderly Iroh smiling in acceptance.

"I have to leave." Korra whispered softly, almost with guilt in her voice. "I can't stay here any longer. Please. Don't try to stop me."

After a while, Iroh simply nodded.

"Do you know why I am going to let you go Korra?"

"Because you are too old to stop me?" Korra said bluntly.

Iroh gave a chuckle. "Ah yes... maybe so, my old bones aren't what they used to be."

Then, to Korra's surprise, Iroh knelt to pick up a bundle of clothes he had at his feet. "You'll need these."

Korra raised an eyebrow in curiosity, and to her surprise, she she was excited to find that it was her Fire Nation armor, and _jian_! But why...

"Why are you helping me?" She blurted, genuinely curious.

"I've known you for a while now Korra," Iroh smiled. "For years, I've seen you struggled and I've seen you shine, I know what you are capable of. I'm letting you go because I have faith in you."

"I'm sorry." Korra blurt out, shaking her head. "I'm not the person you think I am. I'm not even the Avatar that you think I am. In fact, to be honest, I'm probably the most messed up person to be an Avatar...even if that were true." She said with a hint of self pity, unconsciously rubbing her back, the scars still aching even after all this time.

Iroh gave a sad look at Korra as he saw the still bloodied bandages wrapped around her back. "Yes, you have suffered greatly, I can see it in you."

"Just know this." Iroh said warmly, his paternal instincts kicking in as he placed a palm on her shoulder. "Pain is neither good nor evil. it is simply an experience in life. How we deal with it determines the kind of person we are. Some surrender to it, living on the basest of their instincts. Others however, rise above it, to become who they were destined to be."

Then, he smiled gently. "No matter how tough it gets, I have faith that you will find your way. You have already done so before, a thousand lives over. I know you will do so again. You just need time."

Korra still unsure of what to make of all that she had been told, nodded quietly, picking up the sword and her armor and making her way to the forests. She turned and nodded to Iroh one last time.

"Thank you...for everything."

"Goodbye, Korra. I look forward to seeing you again."

* * *

As Korra walked out of the cave entrance, she felt relieved to be on the surface again after what seemed like an eternity. The night sky was clear and bright, bathed in the glow of the moon. She had escaped! Yet, for some reason, she felt shame burning through her like a wild flame. She was running away again, a voice told her. But why did she feel so guilty about it? Mushi (or Iroh) aside, she barely knew these people!

Korra sighed, shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

_Now__, which way to the camp?_ Korra wondered, setting off in one direction, but not before a voice echoed out from the darkness.

"The red suits you. Traitor."

Korra snapped back instantly, ready to defend herself against any assailant. Had Iroh given her away? No...it was someone else.

"Is that what you're really doing after all that trouble Avatar? Running away?" Noatak said in an unwelcoming tone, emerging from the shadows as he walked towards Korra.

"Don't call me that." Korra said in annoyance.

"Does it matter what I call you?" Noatak replied. "Do you think the Fire Nation will welcome you back with open arms once they found out who you are?

"They'll never find out." Korra replied indifferently. "Besides, are you trying to stop me?"

"No, but I want to let you know something." Noatak said with a cold, hostile gaze. "I don't care if you're the Avatar or not, as far as I'm concerned, the Water Tribes have gotten along just fine without one for the last hundred years."

"Then what are you getting at?" Korra asked, genuinely tired of this conversation, and wanting to be on her way.

"I have a friend who was captured by _your _people a few days ago." Noatak said, "I don't care if you fight for us or not. In fact, I'm fine with you walking away from all this, but what doesn't sit well with me is that Niska risked her life to bring you to us, and if you're walking away, you better make sure she comes back to us."

"I can't promise you anything." Korra replied, not liking where this was going.

"If anything happens to Niska, Avatar or not, I'm coming after you." Noatak said coldly. "And that's _my_ promise."

"We're done here?" Korra grunted, not giving him the satisfaction of knowing he was intimidating her, especially in the bright moonlight.

"We're done." Noatak nodded, then turned around, backing away into the shadows.

* * *

**Next up: Korra tries to find her way back to the Fire Nation. General Giam unveils his secret weapon. ****Things are heating up! **:) Thanks again guys for the reviews and reads! Really helps me get going XD I'll answer the reviews via PM tmr, but for now, sleepy time!  


**Believe it or not, I've actually found some fanart of this story on deviant art! An Artist named Greys-Giovana has a few awesome concept arts! Check it out! XD  
**

**greys-giovana . deviantart. com  
**

**To those without PMs (who i will reply to shortly)  
**

**UZU:** Thanks so much XD glad to see it is improving! And who said it was purely Earth kingdom this chappy haha

**Guests: **Yes, Yakone is as powerful in this story as he is in LOK, and he is particularly a ruthless character

**RashestRumble**: Zuko unfortunately has to remain hidden due to his history with the Earth Kingdom ...oh yes, waterbending will be a fun one, but more on that later :)


	29. Hope

**********土**

**Chapter 29: Hope**

* * *

"You did **what?!**"

Toph pounded the side of the wall for emphasis, raw fury etched in her blind eyes as the ceiling and walls shook. Several metalbending guards gulped nervously, thinking just how dumb the old man was for getting the Blind Bandit furious like this, but against her protests, Iroh remained calm and resolute, quietly sipping tea on the table.

Zuko was not in the room, but Iroh felt his nephew's presence outside the room, listening in, no doubt feeling the same anger and frustration that Toph was feeling right now.

"I let her go." Iroh explained. "We cannot hold the Avatar against her will. That would not be what Avatar Aang would have wanted."

"Maybe not, but Aang's gone." Toph said flatly. "We needed to keep her safe here, **I** still need to train her."

"At this moment, she's in no condition to be trained by anyone." The old general sighed. "She needs more time to figure things out on her own. What good is a fully trained Avatar if she views us as enemies?"

At that, even Toph grunted, knowing that she didn't have an answer herself. "What makes you think she'll see us in a different light now that she's gone back to the Fire Nation?"

"I have faith in her." He said simply.

"I'm sorry Iroh...I need a little more assurance than that. I think we established already that we're low on time." Toph said curtly.

"I'm afraid you're right." A new voice chimed into the conversation.

Iroh and Toph turned as the door into the room burst open, and Kori Morishita walked into the room. A worried and serious look was etched on her face, while her trusty meteor hammers dangling by her side as though she were going into battle. To the surprise of the guards, Kori was wearing the green and red warrior garb of the Fire Nation colonies, the flame insignia clearly etched on her tunic.

"Word is spreading around the colonies." Kori began, "General Giam is on the move. They say he's marching his army towards the coast toward Yu Dao, wiping out any opposing villages in his wake, Colonial or Fire Nation." she said grimly.

Toph's fists shook tightly as she heard the message. So he finally made his move...but to take back the entire Earth Kingdom against the whole Fire Nation Army out in the open? _"Giam, you fool..."_

"Toph," Kori began seriously. "I'm sorry, I know you have to look for the Avatar, but I have my own responsibilities. I have to go back home to Yu Dao and assume command of the defense there against Giam. No doubt my father is worried sick and I need to protect my home, even if it is with the Fire Nation."

Toph nodded, without even giving it a second thought. "I understand Kori. Don't worry, I'll handle the Avatar on my own.

Sighing with relief, Kori nodded, then quickly made her way out of the room. When she was gone, Toph turned to the old master.

"Iroh, I know you meant well, but I'm sorry. I can't let you supervise Korra anymore. I'll have to bring her in. Then I'll have to start her training. I know she'll hate it at first, but what other choice do I have?" She muttered.

"There is always a better choice." Iroh said softly, without judgment. He could see the confusion in Toph, but he did not blame her for thinking like that.

"Well," Toph sighed with a soft smirk to her old friend. "Let me know when you find one, in the meantime, I've got an Avatar to catch."

* * *

She had lost track of the number of hours she had walked since escaping the cave. All she knew was that she had to put as much distance between her and her captors as fast as possible, even if that meant not even sleeping a wink that night.

_Well Korra._...she gave a huge tired yawn as the first rays of the sun emerged over the horizon. Had she really been running for that long? _You succeeded. _She sighed, feeling lost, tired and exhausted. Somehow, success didn't feel great.

_Just how big was this Earth Kingdom?!_

Still, she satisfied that she had managed to escape for now, and Korra slowed down her pace, walking under the baking sun that seemed to grow by the minute as dawn gave way to morning. She guessed that she had been walking for hours, evidenced by the soreness and blisters on her feet.

At that point, the sound of running water rang in her ears, and she spied a creek at the roadside. The road seemed to be lead to a small village up ahead as well, with several small wooden shacks and houses, she would have to be cautious around there. Korra thought. Figuring that there wasn't much harm in stopping for a quick break, she sat down at the creek's edge, soaking her aching feet in the stream.

The icy waters were soothing, and Korra let out a sigh of relief as she felt some of the tension of the past few days ease out of her. Who knew being caught in a cave in, being kidnapped, being forced to learn earthbending and almost crushed by boulder brought so much stress into a person?

She smirked, taking the moment to unload the bag that she had brought along with her from the Rebel base, laying out all of her meagre possessions on the river bank.

Aside from the dusty red armor and the Fire Nation _Jian_ that was part of her kit, she only managed to get a few hard pieces of bread, nuts, rice as well some cabbage leaves from the pantry. Peasant food, by Fire Nation standards, but it was a heck of a lot cleaner than anything the warden and his goons had cooked up for them in the Prison back home.

_Home._ That was a strange word altogether, bringing about a mixture of emotion. Home was the warm house that her family had set themselves up at near the internment camp colony. Yet, it was also that dark, damp cell that she had spent most of her childhood growing up in. What exactly was she going back to...

"_Help!_"

Korra almost shot up as the cry echoed through the air. Standing up, she scanned the general direction of the noise, which came from the houses. It was at the side of the road where she noticed the source of the commotion. There was a girl on the ground, surrounded by three other men, each of them armed with spears and clubs. Obviously something was going down over there, and the poor girl was in the thick of it. Based on her limited experience in the Earth Kingdom, they looked like Earth Kingdom Cavalrymen, evidenced by the three Ostrich Horses that they had tied to a nearby tree.

_"Please, I don't have any more to give."_ The girl pleaded.

_"Quiet!" _The ringleader gave the poor girl another kick in the ribs, causing her reel down onto the ground. _"I know you're hiding food here somewhere. Tell us, and we'll make this easier for you."_

The sight of the gang of thugs bullying the girl sent shivers through Korra's spine as she recalled her childhood at the prison, being a victim of Rho's cruel antics herself, and she felt her blood boil just from watching the scene_._

"Hey, Jerks!" Korra shouted loudly as she walked towards the scene, her sheathed _jian_ hidden in the bundle of rags she was carrying with her. "You heard the lady, she doesn't have any food to give to you. Beat it!"

The three thugs turned, watching almost in disbelief as a young teenage girl approached to challenge them, single-handedly.

That disbelief of course, quickly turned into a patronizing stare as the three men burst into laughter. "And what do you think you can do against us huh?! Stay out of this if you know what's good for ya!" The man said brashly, waving his spear towards Korra. "Stinking water tribe peasant!"

The sword rattled slightly in Korra's grip as she heard that remark, a flicker of a sly smile creeping onto her face.

_Oh...I'm_ _going to enjoy this_

"I've changed my mind, you're not going to walk away." Korra said nonchalantly, approaching the thugs slowly. "Because in thirty seconds, none of you are going to be standing."

Taking a deep breath, Korra pulled out the _jian_ that Mako gave her, it's steel rasping on the scabbard for effect as she unsheathed it.

The thugs were at first taken aback by the now-armed girl, and the fact that she was proficient with the blade, but they quickly pressed on, confident in their numbers and brute strength. They charged.

Korra instinctively wanted to channel her firebending through the blade, but she stopped herself at the last second, quickly fighting against the urge. She can't firebend now, not while she was in the middle of hostile territory without knowing which way to go. Even if she had fought whoever it was off, word of a firebending water tribe girl would spread like wild fire, and that was the _last_ thing she wanted. She didn't want people jumping to conclusions.

Quickly focusing back on the fight, she stepped to the side, avoiding a clumsy spear thrust that had hit nothing but empty air. A quick snap of her foot down quickly broke the spear shaft into two, and before the thug could even react, Korra had hit the back of his neck with the hilt of her sword, knocking the guy out.

Another man, a brute carrying a club, didn't seemed to care that she had taken down his comrade with ease. He swung the club towards Korra's head wildly, but the Water Tribe girl was quicker, parrying the swing with her _jian_, she used the man's forward momentum to rush forward, giving him a swift knee between the thighs that sent the large man whimpering flat onto the ground.

"Watch out!" The girl shouted a warning to Korra, and she quickly dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a spear thrust that caught the pack she was carrying, tearing through the ragged cloth easily and spilling the contents of her food and clothing onto the ground.

_"_My stuff!" Korra let out of a shout of anger, then swept the man's feet from under him with a kick of her own. As the man landed with an 'oof' on his back, the last thing he saw was the sight of an angry water tribe girl stomping his face in with her foot.

"Chumps." Korra spat, dusting her hands and wiping the dirt from her clothes.

The Earth Kingdom girl seemed to blink her eyes in disbelief as she watched the scene. A random water tribe girl had just beaten down three thugs like it was nothing! Who was she?

"That was amazing! I've never seen anyone fight like that before. Thank you..." The girl said gratefully, getting hersefl back on her feet. "I don't know how I can repay your kindness."

"Don't mention it," Korra smiled, wiping the dirt and grim off her sleeves. "I would have gladly done it for free."

"Well, I'm glad you were there all the same. I guess you're a traveller from the Water Tribes?"

"Uh...you could say that." Korra said rather sheepishly, gathering her meagre possessions together, somewhat embarrassed. She breathed a small breath of relief that the ragged cloth still covered her Fire Nation armor, and she quickly wrapped the pack around the conspicuous items before they were noticed.

"I'm sorry those thugs ruined your pack." The girl said as she noticed Korra's belongings on the ground.

"It's nothing." Korra shrugged it off casually, having been used to worse.

"Where are you headed?" The girl asked.

"Gaoling." Korra replied rather cautiously, knowing that giving too much away would probably not be in her best interest. "Do you know where that is?"

The girl seemed to beam as she heard the name.

"You can come with me, my house is along the way. We can use the Ostrich Horses to get there." The girl gestured towards the tied up Ostrich Horses left by the now-unconscious thugs.

"I dunno," Korra said uneasily, remembering the horrible and brief experience she had with the Komodo Rhinos. "The last animal I rode on didn't really like me."

The girl chuckled, taking the reins of the nearest ostrich horse. "Don't worry, it's quite easy actually, just be gentle with them, and they'll return the favour. Here, I can show you." She offered the reins of the second horse to Korra.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Korra nodded, sheathing her _jian_ as she climbed on the Ostrich Horse alongside the girl, the animal was unsteady at first, but several assuring tugs by the girl calmed the beast down. "I'm Korra by the way. What's your name?"

"Just call me Hope." The girl smiled genuinely.

Korra's first initial thought was probably not her finest hour, even by her standards.

_Hope? What kind of a dumb name was that?!_

* * *

The briefing itself was short and simple. Toph outlined the plan for the metalbenders and resistance members in their search for the Avatar. They would split into teams to cover more ground, while a separate detachment would be under Kori's command, mainly the colonial soldiers who were forced to defend their homes against General Giam's forces. Toph promised that as soon as they secured the Avatar, her metalbenders would see what they could do to help protect the colonies. It was a tricky situation to be sure, if it meant facing the wrath of both the Phoenix Empire and the Earth Kingdom.

Lost in all this however, were the two Water Tribe brothers and their arctic wolf, who sat quietly as the proceedings concluded.

"Noatak, how could you let the Avatar leave?" Tarrlok whispered at his older brother in disbelief, for as long as he could remember, the Avatar was worshipped by the members of the Northern Tribe as the world's saviour.

"We shouldn't kid ourselves Tarrlok, she wasn't going to join us." Noatak said flatly.

"You can't be sure of that." The younger waterbender protested. It just seemed wrong to him. If that Avatar had returned, shouldn't they do everything they could to help her? Granted this Avatar was the same person who would have willingly handed them over to the Fire Nation without a moment's hesitation just a few days ago, that complicated things a bit in Tarrlok's books, but if anything, Korra was as much of a victim of the Fire Nation as anyone, why couldn't Noatak see it?

"She deserted us the first chance she got. What kind of Avatar does that?" The older brother said stubbornly.

"I don't know," Tarrlok replied, "But don't you think we should give her another chance?"

"So what? you're on her side now Tarrlok?" Noatak snapped rather impatiently, glaring angrily at Tarrlok. "Have you forgotten what she's done to us?! She's had us imprisoned, hunted for weeks across the ocean and this continent, and basically almost destroyed a town trying to capture us."

Usually that would have ended the conversation. Tarrlok would just shrivel up back into his shell and back off in fear of his older brother's temper, but to Noatak's surprise, Tarrlok stood his ground, matching Noatak's cold anger with a simmering temper of his own.

"What I'm saying ..." Tarrlok replied in a low serious voice, "...is that the world needs the Avatar! The Water Tribes have been waiting for the Avatar's return for almost twenty years now, and now we find one at our doorstep on a silver platter and you just let her walk away!? What would our people say? What would the council say? How can you not see this? Or are you just mad that she's gotten the better of you these past few days?"

Noatak's eyes widened in shock as he took in what Tarrlok had said. As much as it annoyed him, Tarrlok had a point. As the best Wolf Tail raider in the Northern Water tribe, it riled him to be bested in combat by this girl. The fact that she was a water tribe girl working for the Fire Nation seemed like a perversion of everything he believed in.

An awkward silence followed the outburst, and even Tarrlok found himself drawing back, surprised at his own audacity.

"Sorry." Tarrlok broke the silence at last, thinking that perhaps he had gone a bit too far with the last comment.

"No, you made your point." the older brother replied. "You really have a way of convincing people to your point of view. Maybe one day I should be calling _you_ councilman." Noatak said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Spirits spare me from that." Tarrlok shook his head instantly. "I'm terrified of speaking in front of the tribe."

Noatak smirked, giving his brother a pat on the shoulder. In a way, he was proud of the way he had stood up to him.

"So what now?" Tarrlok asked.

"The Avatar's long gone, even if we do want her to come back, there's no way we're doing that stupid stunt again." Noatak replied firmly. "So we try and rescue Niska. If what Toph says is true, then the Fire Nation would be moving towards Yu Dao to protect it from the Earth Kingdom. Where ever their armies are, chances are we'll find Niska. After that, let's head back home."

"And how exactly are we going to get her out of the middle of the Fire Nation army?!" Tarrlok said uneasily.

"I'm thinking little brother, I'm thinking." Noatak said rather cryptically, but the answer seemed obvious to him even as he saw Kori Morishita prepping her armor and weapons for the journey.

"I'm thinking Kori can use a few extra hands to Yu Dao." Noatak said in a conspiratorial tone.

"Sounds like a plan brother." Tarrlok said with a grin.

* * *

"Those two make quite the team." Iroh commented dryly as he observed the two water tribe brothers proceed over to Kori's group, asking the governor's daughter if they could join in the expedition to Yu Dao.

Zuko meanwhile, sat in the shadows, watching the proceedings without uttering a word.

"You know why I had to let her go Zuko..." Iroh said in a low, grave voice, so that only the two of them could hear. "She's not a weapon to be used against her own will. It isn't any different than how your Father had treated you."

The mere mention of his father sent rather painful feelings through him, but Zuko relented. Taking a deep breath as he listened to his uncle. Once again, like the story of his life, they had lost the Avatar.

Yet Zuko strangely found himself at peace. In his youth, he would have been furious, but he found surprisingly that the hot, flowing rage he was used to was tempered now. It was probably because now, everything had changed. Back then, he had his honor to redeem, and a home that he craved to return to. Now, there was a strange freedom of detachment in that he had neither of those to look forward to. No honor to redeem, no home or family, just his duty.

It was almost...calming, and at that moment, Zuko appreciated just how his uncle was able to remain so calm when he guided Zuko during those stormy years of his youth.

"I'm not angry Uncle." Zuko said softly.

"You are starting to understand." The old man smiled gently, words filled with solemn pride. "To see the value in patience."

"I'm not angry, but it doesn't change the fact that we are taking a huge risk having her return to the Fire Nation...we could have explained it to her."

"She wasn't ready." Iroh reasoned. "She is still at the beginning of her journey. We just have to give her time."

"And if the Fire Nation decides to not give her any?" Zuko asked. "She entered the Avatar State, and I'm guessing Azula would be warned of her existence by now."

"It is a chance we can take. Aside from being the Avatar, she is a remarkable individual, and she has a talent for surrounding herself with dependable allies and friends. She is safe for the moment." Iroh said rather cryptically, pulling out from his sleeve the old pai sho tile that he always carried around all these years.

"And if she isn't?"

"Then I have the perfect back up plan!" Iroh said with a mischievous grin as he patted Zuko on the shoulder, and the former Prince groaned as he recognized that look in his uncle's face.

"You." He said simply with a smile.

* * *

Korra had a ton of things on her tired and much abused mind. For one thing, she had no idea where the heck she was or even how to get back to friendly lines without giving her identity away. Then there was the added pressure of discovering just recently that she was the Avatar. Master of the four elements, the one to bring balance to the world, and also the greatest enemy in the history of Fire Nation-the same nation she was now running away **to**.

To say her head was threatening to split in half, was an understatement.

But for now, she just forgot all of it. She gleefully forgot it all. The pressures of her everyday existence seemed to dissolve into nothingness as she gazed at the magnificent roast duck that was laid out in front of her.

"This is incredible!" Korra instantly attacked the dish as ferociously as she would have an opponent in an Agni Kai.

"Pretty awesome huh?" Hope said with a polite smile on her face. It didn't take long before the girls traveled off the road to Hope's house, and she was glad she was able to repay Korra for her kindness with the lovely meal."

"Definitely." Korra said. The stuff tasted like it was good enough for a king!

"So why were those thugs after you anyways?" Korra asked out of curiosity. "You don't seem like someone who has a lot to steal from...no offense."

"None taken." Hope grinned, pouring herself some tea as she ate with Korra. "The war's hit this area pretty hard lately. With the Fire Nation acting up again, the warlords have been combing the area for men and supplies. Giam's men have already confiscated our harvests, and now that they're on the move, they're trying to squeeze every last bit of food out of us."

At that, Korra instinctively stopped eating, feeling almost guilty that she was getting to enjoy this meal at her host's expense.

Hope however, chuckled softly when she noticed Korra's gesture. "It's okay, I've been stockpiling my own hidden stores for a while now. Consider this a treat."

"Still..." Korra said rather uneasily, "Doesn't it just seem wrong? That the Earth Kingdom is doing this to their own people?" Then again, Korra thought wryly, she _was_ the Water Tribe girl in the Fire Nation army...but that didn't stop her from seeing that this was just wrong. As far as she knew, the Fire Nation army didn't steal from their own people.

Hope shook her head, "You would think so wouldn't you? But It's the story of this war, and of every war before, greedy men seeing someone weaker with something they want."

"Why don't you fight back?" Korra asked, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I wish we could," Hope replied. "but it's hard when they've conscripted all the benders into the army, not to mention all the men and women of fighting age."

"I guess you must be lucky then." Korra noted, to which Hope gave a nod.

"Not really, they just don't think I'd be useful to them." Hope replied with a faint smile, "I guess that counts as lucky."

Korra smiled ironically at that statement, remembering her own upbringing. "That's lucky enough in my books."

Knowing better than to continue this depressing topic, Korra thought it best to change subjects.

"So...where did you learn to cook like this?" She asked curiously.

"My mother was a great cook my family immigrated to Ba Sing Se, back when they were refugees." Hope explained, "I'd like to think some of it rubbed off on me."

"Oh yes, you definitely have it, the food is amazing!" Korra complimented genuinely her host as she munched on a slice of roast duck. "I don't think I've ever eaten anything this good in the prison."

Korra then suddenly clasped her hands over her mouth as she realized what she had just said. _Stupid! Don't give anything away._

Hope stopped eating as soon as she heard Korra utter the phrase.

"You were in a prison?"

_Wow. Way to go Korra..._

"Yes..." Korra said softly. "Ah, but it doesn't matter now."

Hope however, didn't seem the least bit discouraged by that answer. "I'd like to think it does."

"You wouldn't want to hear it."

"Try me."

For a moment, Korra hesitated, feeling unsure of what was safe to say or not to say. But she relented. "My family was captured by the Fire Nation in the South Pole before I was born, so I grew up in a prison actually."

"That sounds awful." Hope said.

"Worse than you can imagine." Korra shivered slightly, uncomfortable with the memories. "They made my dad work in the mines, my mom in the factories. I...I was taken to train with the soldiers..." She stopped there. _No, better that she doesn't know all the gruesome details._

"I can see...It must have been awful." Hope commented with sympathy, eyeing the bandages wrapped around Korra's back."

Slightly conscious of the fact that her wounds were still there, Korra pulled her shirt in, not entirely comfortable with people gawking at her like some kind of wounded animal.

Almost sensing this, Hope relented. "I'm sorry..." she offered, "If this is uncomfortable-"

"No," Korra cut her off. "It's...it's just weird you know? I never talked about this with anyone before. It's not like I can except a lot of people to understand exactly what it was like, going through all that."

"Well, if it helps...I know what you mean." Hope said calmly, "When the Fire Nation conquered Ba Sing Se, they forced all the citizens to move out into refugee camps to make way for the Fire Nation colonists. My family among them. I was a baby back then, so that life was all I knew."

"But you escaped." Korra offered.

"Yes..." Hope replied softly. "When I was still young, my parents smuggled me out...but it didn't end well..."

Korra was silent for a long time as she listened to her friend. It seemed so unfair, how good people would be punished so. Hope was free from the prison, but all alone now. While Korra herself had her family, but they were imprisoned, like a chain to keep her in line. It was a cruel, sickening irony and it seemed to summarize everything she knew about this twisted world.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Korra offered helplessly.

"It's okay." Hope smiled, gently wiping her eyes. "As weird as it was, I think I needed that. It's always good to know a fellow survivor is out there."

"Some of us just can't seem to catch a break huh..." Korra said rather self deprecatingly.

"Well," Hope said cordially, pouring out another cup of tea for Korra. "I'd like to think that in the end, if we keep at it, things will turn out for the best."

"Careful there," Korra said snarkily as she took the offered tea. "That sounds awfully close to optimism."

"Well, you can blame my parents for that one." Hope chuckled, "They said that I was blessed by the Avatar, and that he was the main reason I am even here today. I always took it as some kind of a good luck charm I guess."

"The Avatar...eh." Korra said uneasily, wondering just how in the heck they had managed to even go onto a topic that was even _more_ uncomfortable.

"People keep saying that he is not coming back. But I have faith." Hope pressed, "I know, somewhere, out there. There's still a chance."

"I guess," Korra said in a surprisingly cheerful voice, hoping to disguise the nervousness she felt just now. "Well until then, let's drink." She lifted her tea cup towards Hope.

"To our crappy lives!" She said jokingly.

Hope chuckled, then toasted her friend in turn. "You're a funny one Korra. I'm glad I was able to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine." Korra smirked, then drank, even as the swirl of thoughts returned uneasily back into her mind.

* * *

The tent was almost pitch black that night, save for the burning of a few candles in the corner where Sentinel Asami was standing guard. She bowed low as Zhenjin entered.

"Has the prisoner said anything yet?" Zhenjin asked rather seriously, eager to get this over yet. He had promised Mako and his friends that he would not leave Korra behind. Nor was he willing to give up on the Blue Spirit just yet. That unfortunately, left only one option. Distasteful, but it must be done.

"Not yet sire." Asami replied smoothly, "But I'll get her talking soon enough."

"Soon is not enough." Zhenjin growled impatiently. "You may go Asami."

"But-" Asami began to protest.

"It's fine Asami," Zhenjin replied casually, "If anything goes wrong, you'll be the first to know."

Knowing better than to contradict the Crown Prince of the Phoenix Empire, Sentinel Asami bowed, and left the tent.

That just left Zhenjin alone with his 'guest'.

One of the few prisoners they had captured from the last battle, aside from a few lowly peasant grunts, was a sight that no one had seen on a battlefield for over a decade.

A Kyoshi Warrior.

She remained tied up, her arms chained upwards between two metal poles that were stabbed into the ground, suspending her on her feet. Her green armored kimono was battle scarred and disheveled, and the brilliant white and red war paint had faded, worn off her face from the trials of the past two days.

"You're strong." Zhenjin offered the compliment honestly. "But I'm afraid your stubborness is going to end now."

Niska, bound but still defiant, glared angrily at the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, hiding her surprise that he was even here, alone in this tent with her.

"Like I'll tell you anything." Niska spat, defiance written all over the Kyoshi's face.

That kind of took Zhenjin off guard. For as long as he could remember from the days of his youth, everyone seemed to shrink away in fear in his presence, mainly due to the fact that everyone knew who his mother was. Only a few people didn't seem intimidated by him, his friends Mako and Asami included. This would be interesting indeed.

"I don't expect you to tell me anything just yet, after all, we've just met, how can I trust you?" Zhenjin casually stood near a wooden table, laying out a tool kit in front of the trussed up warrior.

"Since we're being so upfront, I'll lay it out here now. We're missing someone from our team, not only that, but I'm also hunting a fugitive called the Blue Spirit."

When Niska didn't reply at first, Zhenjin sighed, setting more tools down on the table.

"I have a lot of questions to ask you. Like why did your allies kidnap our comrade? I'm also interested in why the rebels would work with a Fire Nation fugitive like the Blue Spirit. I think you know the answer to both."

"I won't tell you anything." Niska said, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

That slight change in tone wasn't lost on Zhenjin. Despite his misgivings with his mother, she had trained him well in that aspect.

"Like I said, I don't expect you to, not yet anyways. How can I trust anything you tell me now?" The prince said nonchalantly walking up in front of Niska. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but we're out of time, and we need to find our friend and the Blue Spirit. It looks like we've have to get to know each other sooner rather than later."

Without warning, Niska felt a hand stab forward, hitting her just below the ribs. The Kyoshi Warrior gasped, feeling her insides pushing all the air out her throat. She wanted to fall onto the ground, but the chains held her up, a sickening feeling overcoming her instantly that quickly developed into pain. Her throat felt constricted into a tightened grip, while her insides convulsed in spasms of pain, as if she were about to throw up.

"I'm sure you're very familiar with Chi Blocking," Zhenjin commented dryly, "The variation Grand Master Ty Lee taught me isn't as precise, nor does it disable or numb your body. It's purpose is to simply open up your chi paths to experience...greater sensations."

Niska kept coughing violently, almost choking as she still tried to recover from the initial blow, but Zhenjin kept talking, as if ignoring her struggles.

"That's just the start," The Prince said, "If you still persist in not telling me anything, I've also brought along a few tools to speed things along."

Zhenjin went back to the wooden table, pulling out several blades of various sizes and lengths from the tool kit.

"At first I won't be able to trust you, but after I use this," He pulled out a small, wicked curved knife. "I trust you'll be honest about a few things. We'll have developed what they would call... a closer bond. Like a commander and his subordinate."

"And if we are still having issues, then we get to this one," Zhenjin said, unsheathing the blade of his _jian_ with a loud rasp of metal.

"At that point, I'll believe every word that comes out of your mouth. Like we're Family."

* * *

**Why yes, I am a fan of Pan's Labyrinth XD**

**I apologize if the pacing is slow, there's just so much i want to set up in terms of character development, plot etc...that i want to make sure i cover all my points before pressing forward. Needless to say, this is a 'slow' chapter in terms of plot progression, but just one of those chappys where I enjoy just writing the characters immersed in this world.  
**

**As for Zuko, when you spend two decades under the tutelage of your mentor, some of their values ought to rub off on ya..and unfortunately, same goes with a certain prince and his mom :S, even if he is doing this to save Korra and fulfill his mission.  
**

**again, THANK YOU all for your support and your comments and reads :) I very much appreciate it and i hope the rest of this tale is to your liking :D  
**

**Next up : All roads lead to Yu Dao! What will Korra/Zhenjin/Southern Earth Kingdom/ Everybody do next?!**

* * *

**To those i can't PM :)**

**RashestRumble16 :** As to the reason why Korra doesn't know Iroh...a vain royal family such as the Fire Nation can approach a bad apple in the family tree in one of two ways. Either use them publicly as an example and warning, or wipe them from the history books to maintain the illusion of unity and perfection in the royal family. In this world, Azula decides to wipe out the accomplishments of Iroh from the history books, and this will play a role later on as well. Hope that helps!

Korra's parents are still out there :) and they will make a return! I just gotta get past the entire Earth Book lol, it's turning out to be longer than i thought!

**Uzu-chan** : Thanks for the review! Yes, Korra seems like a natural bending prodigy in the show, much like Aang. Hehe, your commentary on the other two elements is exactly why i'm so eager to start writing the next two parts! And yeah, i would say that Zhenjin respects and admires her as a soldier, anything more, we'll see! I took an opportunity to read Children of War based on your recommendation (haven't hit book 3 yet), it's amazing, and I'm flattered any character I made would remind you of that! =O Thanks again. And yes, as you mentioned, when she bothers, Korra is quite the sharp cookie ;)


	30. Goliath

******土**

**Chapter 30: Goliath  
**

* * *

The sun rose on a new day over what looked like a disaster on the plains. The sky burned black over the mountains, with huge twisting columns of smoke reaching into the clouds. The battered and burning husks of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation tanks littered the landscape for miles around, as though the plain had been bombarded by a literal rain of steel and iron.

For Lee, it had been a terrifying experience, with almost a day of continuous battle between the Southern Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation Vanguard. For once though, the Earth Kingdom had gotten the better of it. The iron-plated tanks of the Mechanist easily stood up against the lighter Tundra Tanks of the Fire Nation, and for every tank they lost, they must have destroyed at least three or four of the Fire Nation's. But even at that rate of exchange, Lee thought bitterly, it wouldn't be enough, the Earth Kingdom no longer had the massive armies it had twenty years ago.

_ At the end of the day, this is all we have left to challenge Azula. We can't fail._

He gripped the handle of the sword bitterly at the last thought, even as he and his men watched the rising dust clouds in the distance. Even under the burning smoke and the raging fires that consumed the plain, he could make out the distant shapes of more Tundra Tanks, along with the red flags and crimson armor of the elite guards of the Crimson army.

The main Fire Nation army had arrived, at least several division-sized formations were streaming towards them, past the smoking carcasses of the Fire Tanks that had been eliminated in the Van guard. Lee lost count of the formations after a few hundred tanks. The very earth seemed to tremble at the approach of the Fire Nation army, who were eager to wipe away the last pitiful remnant of the Earth Kingdom off the face of the planet.

Dug in on the other side of the plain, arrayed in a line of iron and earth, were the fifty remaining tanks of the Earth Kingdom, along with the rest of the army of the Southern Earth Kingdom. They were exhausted, wounded, but still defiant and confident. They had taken the vanguard of an elite Fire Nation army and tore it to shreds, and many were eager to do it again, despite the odds.

General Giam stood at the head of the formation, ignoring the streams of fire and shrapnel that seemed to be raining around him as the Fire Nation tanks lobbed several bombs at his position, throwing up spouts of earth and flame in the process.

"General," Lee stepped up next to Giam with his men, each of them ready to throw their lives on the line if need be. "You should step back, it's not safe up here." He said out of concern.

Giam turned, eyes blazing as he spoke. "What other place is there for a general than at the front of his troops?"

Lee didn't reply, falling back with his men as the general recomposed himself and faced the oncoming storm.

"I just want to savor this moment Lee." Giam said wistfully. "You weren't there when the Earth Kingdom still had Ba Sing Se. When we commanded vast armies that could conquer a continent. We could have won the war if we were better led. But no, we only had an incompetent boy-king, with Long Feng and his Dai Li sycophants calling the shots. My men died for nothing. We lost it all, _for nothing._"

"This will be the first time the Earth Kingdom has ever taken land back from the Fire Nation." The old general said calmly. "I at least want to see this."

Giam gripped his fist tight at those memories.

"I'm tired Lee." The old fury in the general was replaced with a weariness that Lee never realized up until now, and for once, he looked at the general with a strange pity of sorts. The weight of the Earth Kingdom's hopes, all the sacrifices, hard choices, and defeats rested on the shoulders of this one man.

"I'm tired of spending our lives running from the Fire Nation. Of being raised on Earth Kingdom defeats." Giam turned back to his army, and the troops watched him silently. He had poured his heart, his very soul into crafting this army the past twenty years. And now, on the verge of their greatest battle, he could only look at them in pride.

"We've had to do a lot of things to get here, things we weren't be proud of. But by the spirits, we will make those sacrifices worth it, and they will not have been in vain. We will end them right now. We will win."

As the men sat silent, grim and determined, the Fire Nation army approached closer, they were at least a mile away now, and soon, combat would be joined.

At that moment, An earth bender emerged from the ground, tunneling his way to the General's position. He quickly passed a note to Lee as he dismounted to take the message.

"General sir." Lee turned as he read the message. "The engineers report that they are ready and are now awaiting your orders. Are we clear to act?"

Giam turned back, nodding solemnly.

"Bury them. Bury them all." Giam said harshly, the old fury returning to his features.

And with that, the elite Earth benders went to work. Giam watched with satisfaction as he turned again to the Fire Nation army. The Earth was their strength, it had been for centuries, and now, it would give them a victory.

* * *

General Ruon-Jian bit his lip as he watched the scene, hundreds of burning Fire Nation tanks littered the landscape, almost obscuring his view of the Earth Kingdom army between them and the wreckage. The loss of men and material was enormous, but he didn't care, the main army was at least several times larger than the Vanguard, and he would make the Earth Kingdom pay bitterly for their losses.

Ruon-Jian too, took comfort from the fact that the Airship fleet was with his army, their gargantuan shapes blotting out the sky as they covered the advancing troops. True to his word, Chan had equipped at least a dozen of the airships to support his army.

They were only a few hundred metres away from the exhausted Earth Kingdom army, Ruon-Jian thought with relish._ Another few minutes, and this would all be over._

The troops of the Crimson Army seemed to agree as well, and the heavy infantry began cheering, raising their pikes and swords in the air as they led the attack with the tanks.

Then suddenly, the ground started shaking. It was a small movement at first, hidden underneath the tremors caused by the advancing Fire Nation army, but it soon became pronounced enough that several of the Fire Nation troopers fell on their feet. The Tundra Tanks, confused and shocked by the sudden earthquake, crashed into each other and out of formation, while the Komodo Rhinos went wild with fear, trampling several soldiers and scything through their former comrades. Animals screeched, tore and bit at their owners and at each other, while the entire Fire Nation column grinded to a halt.

"What in Spirits name is going on here?!" Ruon-Jian shouted atop his tank, "Advance you cowards! Advance! For the glory of Azula!"

He didn't notice it at first, but it wasn't until he lost sight of the first ranks of his army began sinking into the ground did the realization hit him. Now, the screams and shouts became more apparent. The entire ground ahead of the army was collapsing, caving inwards into a solid trench that enveloped the front like an earthen tidal wave. As the sinkhole expanded to cover the front of the army, it swept inwards, burying whole formations of soldiers and hundreds of tanks in the process, whilst throwing up a maelstrom of dust and flame.

Thousands of soldiers did what every instinct in their body screamed at them to do, and they dropped their weapons and fled back, even as more tanks became swallowed into the sinkhole, that seemed to be expanding at a quicker and quicker pace.

Ruon-Jian was speechless as he watched, the crumbling ground swallowed more troops in front of him, and the sinkhole stopped mere yards in front of his own tank, but the damage was done, and the Fire Nation advance disappeared into what was now a massive smoking chasm, swallowing up half the advancing army, burying hundreds of tanks and infantry divisions in the process.

_They dug a trench across the entire plain, and waited for us to march on top of it._ The Fire Nation general slammed his fist on the hatch of his tank in raw fury. How could they have fallen for something so simple? So effective? Just how long have they been planning this? It must have taken hundreds of Earthbenders...

That feat itself seemed impossible, nothing of this scale had been done since Avatar Kyoshi had split off Kyoshi island from the continent. Now, out of nowhere, a chasm as large as any in the great divide had spawned between his army and the Southern Earth Kingdom.

"Get Admiral Chan a messenger hawk now!" Ruon-Jian shouted fiercely. "We'll depend on his airships to break through now and get the army across this divide!"

* * *

Chan widened his eyes in shock as he watched the entire valley plain below explode into a wall of dust and cloud, swallowing half of the Fire Nation army into the sinkhole. It was devastating, completely swallowing up half the Crimson Army before it even fired a shot at the Earth Kingdom army.

That same army now was cheering, and rightfully so. Having waited for the perfect moment to strike, the Earth Kingdom Army destroyed half the Phoenix Empire's continental army without lifting a finger.

The red hot shame and fury of having been bested by the Earthbenders still fresh on his mind, Admiral Chan turned to one of his officers. "Relay a message to the rest of the fleet. Our airships are to advance and bomb the Earth Kingdom Army." The Admiral said heatedly. "We'll show them that they haven't beaten us, not by a long shot. We will advance, and we will destroy them all!"

"Sir! I think we have a situation up ahead!" the captain of the airship shouted in warning, his eyes staring ahead in disbelief.

"What is it!? I've given my orders! and I expect them to be-" Chan turned around furiously at this interruption, but he too stopped as he laid his eyes on the looming shape that emerged in the horizon.

"This..." Chan said in complete shock. "This can't be!"

* * *

Above the burning embers of the battlefield, the fighting had halted, at least temporarily. The battered and bruised remnants of the Fire Nation retreated back from the massive sinkhole, while the Earth Kingdom army dug in, watching the skies above as a massive construction appeared above them.

For a moment, the Fire Nation commanders had thought that maybe one of their own ships had come to the battlefield, but the shape and size of the new arrival resembled nothing they had seen before. Compared to the Fire Nation airship, it seemed to dwarf them, spanning two to three times the length of a standard Fire Nation Airship, equaling, if not exceeding the size of Phoenix King Ozai's main Dreadnought Airship from the Great Burning two decades ago. It was crafted in brown-beige steel, with military markings of the Earth Kingdom painted underneath it's massive frame. A cascade of small turrets strutted out of the vessel along its length, while a pair massive cannons extended outwards from the bow, underneath the massive propellers that kept the vessel up.

It was the Mechanist's greatest invention, and the secret weapon the Earth Kingdom had been shoring up for the better part of two decades.

The Goliath.

"The Fire Nation thinks they have control of the skies, using technology that was stolen from the Earth Kingdom" Giam noted wryly, looking up with a smile as he revealed the Earth Kingdom's greatest trump card yet. "Now, they will see how mistaken they truly are."

He turned to Lee.

"Send a message to Teo, have the Goliath wipe out the Fire Nation Fleet. Not a single Fire Nation airship is to remain above the ground today."

Moments after the hawk had been sent off, the Goliath's engines roared to life, scything through the smoke clouds like a hot knife through butter, like a mechanical beast that seemed to take up the entire sky above the Earth Kingdom Army as it entered the battlefield. Soon afterwards, the entire front of the ship erupted into cannon fire as the first turrets came to life, tearing apart the lightly armored and armed Fire Navy Airships in its path.

Giam watched with silent satisfaction as the first Fire Nation Airship crumpled under the cannon fire, twisting and burning in the skies before exploding into a rain of shrapnel and flames.

The Earth Kingdom, for the first time in a century, had control of the skies as well.

* * *

The sun was setting on the path to Gaoling, and Korra watched it uneasily as she led the Ostrich Horse out of the shed. With Hope's help, she had managed to get a reasonable saddle for it as well, along with provisions and water in case she got lost.

"Thank you," Korra turned just as she was about to disembark on the next leg of her journey. "Thank you for everything Hope. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"You'll never have to." The girl smiled gently as she handed Korra her pack. "I'm sure your friends are out there somewhere, and I wouldn't want to keep you from them. Friends...and family are important, now more than ever."

That thought made Korra almost cringe inwardly. Yes, they were important. But even so, that didn't make this decision any easier. She wanted to return to her friends, but she hated the thought of her parents wasting away in a Fire Nation cell even more...

Hope seemed to sense Korra's hesitation, and she leaned in closer to her friend. "You never did escape the prison did you?"

"No," Korra replied, almost guiltily, but glad to get that bit off her chest. "My parents never did escape. That's why I'm in the Fire Nation army, to earn their freedom."

"I see..." Hope said softly, almost without judgement. "I hope it works out for you."

That took Korra off guard. Normally, she expected the same glares and hostility from the likes of Noatak and Toph's freedom fighters, not this. "Why are you so casual about it?" Korra snapped, regretting it instantly. "I mean...I'm literally your enemy."

"Do I look like a soldier to you?" Hope smirked, "I have no enemies. You're a guest in my house. Nothing else. Besides," she spoke softly. "It's not fair for me to hate you for something that they've forced on you."

Korra almost choked, a lump forming in the back of her throat, as she heard that last remark. It was rare that anyone would even understand her situation, and as far as she knew, only Mako and her Parents did. Yet, for some strange reason, she found herself being profoundly grateful to hear this from a random Earth Kingdom girl.

"I'll find a way to repay you one day. I promise." Korra said with conviction in her voice, like the day she had promised her parents.

"Like I said, you won't have to." Hope smiled weakly as she held the reins for Korra. "I only wish I was as strong as someone like you. Then maybe I can make a difference in this world."

"No." Korra said firmly, with a friendly smile. "You're one of the strongest people I've ever met. I mean that."

"Heh, if that's a clever ploy to recruit me to the Fire Nation Army, don't think I'll fall for it." Causing both of them to have a small laugh.

Sensing it was time to go, Korra lifted herself into the saddle, and trotted the Ostrich Horse away from the house. However, as moved, she couldn't help but turn and ask one more question.

"The Avatar...even if he or she is back..." Korra started uneasily. "Do you think really think they can make a difference? Even with the world like it is?"

"Of course." Hope said without hesitation. "And it's not just because the Avatar is strong. I really think the Avatar has what it takes to bring people together, even in the worst of times. " Hope said cheerfully. "Where ever they are, I'm sure they'll find the people they need to help them on their way."

"Always the optimist huh?" Korra smirked ironically.

"Like a said, can't help it." Hope grinned. "It was a pleasure Korra, come back soon!"

Korra waved goodbye to her friend, and trotted the Ostrich Horse down the main road towards Gaoling.

* * *

The directions Hope gave her were accurate, and sure enough, it took Korra a surprisingly short amount of time before she found herself trotting the Ostrich Horse outside the Fire Nation lines. The Fire Nation sentries were equally surprised, and Korra found herself stopped as several Yu Yan Archers blocked her path, each one aiming at her with a deathly glare in their eyes.

At that moment, Korra cursed herself for not putting on her Fire Nation Armor on sooner, but she couldn't risk it, not being so deep inside the Earth Kingdom. It suddenly occurred to her how ludicrous it would look for a water tribe girl, wearing Earth Kingdom clothes, to claim that she was part of the Fire Nation army. It kinda had a funny ring to it actually, and Korra would have laughed at the absurdity of it had she not been staring down the bows of six Yu Yan Archers.

The situation however, was quickly defused by Mako.

"Korra!" The Southern Raider ran towards her, and just as Korra dismounted, she was taken aback by how fiercely Mako hugged her, almost knocking the wind out of her. She looked behind him to see On Ji and Hide run up as well, relief etched on their faces.

"We were so worried!" On Ji cried out, clasping her hands in joy as she joined Mako in hugging the Southern Raider. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine guys..." Korra said uneasily, being crushed by the vice grips of her comrades. "Really."

After they let go, Korra sighed, taking a moment to catch her breath before smiling as well.

"It's good to have you back Korra." Mako said genuinely. They had been digging for days now, expecting Korra to be buried under tonnes of rock at worst.

"What exactly happened?" Hide asked, completely not expecting Korra to show up at the edge of their camp, of all places.

"Let's give her some space first. " Mako said firmly. "We can ask her in the morning, I'm sure she has a lot to tell us."

At that, Korra actually felt a little bit nervous. "Yeah...I guess."

"Actually." A new voice chimed in. "I'm very interested in hearing what Korra has to say now."

All eyes turned to the pathway leading to the camp, and the Yuyan archers bowed solemnly as Prince Zhenjin emerged from the darkness, his face lit up by the light of the torches carried by his sentries.

"Prince Zhenjin." Korra bowed formally, along with the rest of the squad. "It's good to see you made it through okay."

The Prince nodded with a smile as well, saluting in return. "And you as well Korra, we were worried sick about you the past few days, and I'm glad to see you safe. But where's the Blue Spirit? We were fighting him together last I checked, we were afraid he had taken you captive."

_You don't know the half of it..._Korra thought uneasily.

"I...I don't know...I kind of blacked out at the cave in and found myself outside one of the mine entrances. I spent the last few days fighting my way across enemy territory to get me back here."

It was a weak excuse, in Korra's mind, and she felt sweat drip down her side as she watch Zhenjin examine her sternly with his gaze.

But eventually, the prince relented. "The same happened to me." He said grudgingly. "I guess it isn't much of a stretch to say the same happened to you. But I'll speak with you later Korra, there's much I still want to know."

"Of course." Korra sighed inwardly, glad to get that out of the way.

"So..." Mako asked, hoping to give Korra some room to breath. "What now?"

"Now?" Zhenjin said firmly, pointing to the Northwest. "We head to Yu Dao. With Korra here, it's safe to say the Blue Spirit's not in the mine either. We'll follow the Phoenix Lord's orders and defend the colony, then we'll continue the search.

"And the prisoner, sir?" One of the Yuyan archers asked.

"Bring her along." Zhenjin said quickly, wanting to get that little detail out of the way. "She may prove quite valuable to us." He said cryptically.

"For now though," He turned back to his friends with a welcoming smile. "Let's get back to camp. It's been a tough day for us all, we'll get some rest before we set off tomorrow. The hard work starts then."

"Sir!" The Southern Raiders and Yuyan Archers saluted the prince, following them back to camp.

Korra gulped as she heard the Prince's order, and she watched uneasily as the soldiers in camp started hauling an unconscious Kyoshi Warrior out of the tent and towards the prisoner cages, the words of Noatak echoing hauntinly in her head.

The next few days were going to be a tricky one, and Korra had to play her cards right if she were to make it through...

* * *

"You are certain this is true?"

Blue flames flickered in the room angrily as the messenger reported the news, the man was shaking nervously as he prostrated himself before the throne.

"Yes my lady. The attack has been stalled on the outer plains. Even now, the army is in retreat."

_Retreat? Unacceptable. Unforgivable._

"And Prince Zhenjin?"

"Heading to Yu Dao as per your orders." The messenger replied.

There was a flash of a smile, which vanished as soon as it appeared. "And where is Ty Lee?"

"She has carried out her mission of guarding the young prince. She awaits only your further orders."

"Excellent. Here are my orders." Azula said, with a calm authority that could capture an entire army's attention as well as a nation's.

"I want Ty Lee to mobilize the rest of the Jade Sentinels. I'll meet her at the colony."

"Of course," The messenger said uneasily, "But you're going as well?"

Had looks killed, the messenger would have dropped dead where he stood, but luckily for him, Azula was in a good mood today. "Of course. Besides, I think it's high time I paid Omashu a _personal_ visit, and wipe it off the map."

The messenger nodded quietly, his eyes shifting to the ceilings of the throne room, where several dark, armored shapes clung to the walls, silent, waiting. They had listened with anticipation. And even though their visages were covered by iron faceplates, he could still somehow feel their eyes stabbing into him with a predatory glare for even daring to question their orders.

The messenger gulped again. "Your will, my Lady."

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter: The Krew heads towards the next battleground of the war : Yu Dao **

**I've always wondered, do you guys consider the Avatar Universe to be steampunk? A lot of it seems to remind me of steampunk, even if it isn't outwardly like it. The Fire Nation airships being a prime example. So on that vein, i've included in my favourite steampunk Airship of all time to this fanfic, the Goliath Airship from Laputa :)**

******I got somewhat of a writer's block with this chapter but glad to have gotten this chappy out. And t**hanks again everyone for taking the time to read and/or review the story, it really means a lot and I appreciate it!  


* * *

**Gogglegirl - **Don't worry,Hope will make a return in this story for precisely the same reasons you've stated :)**  
**

**Guest- **haha maybe in some ways he does resemble Roose, but I'd say Zhenjin does the torture more out of a necessity. Roose just seems to do it because he enjoys it as well!

**Uzu-chan-** Thanks for the catch, as always XD And yes, being raised by Azula will warp you, no matter how kind you are.

**Rashestrumble** - noted :) and I will have to go deeper into that part of the story as it progresses. I'm not saying everyone (i.e the old guard) has forgotten who Iroh and Zuko are, but for the new younger generation such as Korra's, Azula would make sure that neither are even mentioned in the history books. I know though, Iroh is a kickass character that deserves to be remembered :D Your concept intrigues me, mainly because my concept of Zhenjin is to make him an anti-Zuko of sorts...haha looking forward to it :) i was playing with an idea of an Assassin's Korra crossover myself, so if you need any ideas to throw around, I can help

**Guest2**: Ah yes, I was planning on having Hope a smaller part of my story originally, but your comment made me rethink that, I'm glad you left it. Thanks again! :) Yes, Hope is twenty, but I left the description of her as a 'girl' anyway. I don't think the Avatarverse really differentiates between girls who are say 15 and 20, i mean, look at Suki and the badassery she can pull. That's just my lazy justification anyway haha :)

**Guest**: Thanks :) glad you are liking it, and yes, Korra was alone for a while but no longer. This will be quite interesting ;)

**TheSuperninjaX:** Zuko will get a boatload of action before this story is done :) i assure you that.

**RyosukeYamada012 :** Thanks for read and review! Yea, there's a reason why that scene is still in my head after all these years. Very underrated movie IMHO


	31. Taking Command

**********土**

**Chapter 31: Taking Command  
**

* * *

Korra sighed with relief as she stood at the bow of the Fire Nation warship. With the Earth Kingdom forces blocking the land passage to the colony, it took an extra few days before the Fire Nation Force had set off from Gaoling, securing a warship of the Southern Raiders to transport them northwards to Yu Dao.

It had been maybe a few weeks since they had set off on their journey to the Earth Kingdom but in Korra's mind, it felt like a lifetime. She had seen so much, met so many people, and learned so much about the world outside the dark, cold prison she had been raised in. It was both liberating, and exciting, but just as dangerous as well. The choices and consequences of all that she had seen weighed heavily on her mind, and for the moment she didn't even want to think about it.

Instead, Korra focused herself on the calming blue waves, crashing against the steel hull of the ship and spraying upwards in a dazzling cooling mist. For as long as she could remember, the smell of the salt air and the sound of the ocean waves excited her, representing a world outside the prison walls she had known all her life; A world that was huge and vibrant, teeming with life and people, with mountains, and stretches of desert and forests just waiting to be explored.

She felt a small moment of pride and fulfillment knowing that she had partially achieved her dream, the Earth Kingdom, the town of Gaoling, the Mines and underground complexes; what she had seen was beyond her _wildest_ dreams, and even more amazing, there were even bigger cities out there, just waiting to be explored!

That feeling of excitement however, was chased by a small sting of shame as she remembered that her own family was still locked up in a cage, while she was free, exploring the outside world.

Korra lean quietly over the railing and gazing southwards. Somewhere in the distance, was the icy tundra that she had called both her home and prison; where her parents were rotting away in their cells.

_I have to get them out. I can't let them down._ She gripped the railings tight as she remembered the Warden's last words to her. Failure was not an option.

But that brought her mind to another subject altogether. How could she capture the two Water Tribe brothers now? _Not after all that has happened, not after their discovery- her discovery of being the Avatar._

That changed everything. It was great being back in her Fire Nation armor and all, but she felt like a completely different person from a week ago. She was a Firebender...and an Earthbender at the same time.

She was the Avatar, who in Asami's own words, was the greatest enemy of the Fire nation. That revelation was confusing for Korra, who had lived her life thinking and acting like she was a Firebender. She was one still, but now, it felt like she was also something else as well.

It was almost like another part of her had been born that day. She was still Korra, the fiery, and energetic seventeen year old fire bender who was driven to achieve all her goals. But now, there was another part of her that she never knew existed- like moving a muscle that had never been used before- It was a more stubborn, persistent side; one that was rough and jagged around the edges that came with its own set of motivations and perspectives.

It was almost like learning about a new person altogether, only that person was also _her, a_nd reconciling the two halves felt so conflicting and _frustrating_ at the same time.

It complicated everything she did, even the simple task of setting up camp felt wrong, as Korra had to purposely had to resist the urge to Earthbend a seat for herself in front of her comrades. On another occasion, she almost blasted through a cooking pot with her firebending, having focused too much chi on suppressing her earthbending, the chi simply rebounded back, exploding in front of her face, and everyone else's to her embarrassment.

It wasn't just the simple lighting of a campfire, every mundane task she performed everyday seemed to require a switch, to always focus on the Firebending aspect of herself, to resist the urge to automatically Earthbend. It was like pushing against a mountain, it seemed like every time she tried to ignore the Earthbending side of her- to push it down within herself- it simply pushed back even more stubbornly, throwing her own firebending out of balance.

Heck, at this point, she was surprised she was able to walk outside her cabin door without splitting herself in half.

_Why does everything have to be so_ _difficult.._she sighed

"Got something on your mind?"

Korra's mind snapped back to reality, and she gripped the railing tight in surprise. She _hated_ it when people jumped up on her like that!

But she quickly eased as she saw that it was Mako, his red scarf fluttering almost playfully in the breeze, his battle helmet was off, and from his easy and calm demeanor, she guessed he wasn't in _sergeant stuckup_ mode at the moment, which she appreciated.

"Nothing...just trying to soak in everything that's happened so far." She said the half-truth almost flawlessly, it was getting more and more tempting to lie about everything now, and it was growing to be a tiresome habit.

"Heh, I know you're probably exhausted from being stranded in the middle of the Earth Kingdom, but I'm glad you made it out alright in the end. We were worried sick you know." Mako gave her a light pat on the back, which quickly backfired on him when Korra yelped in pain as the shock of her old wounds lashed through her spine.

Mako gulped as Korra glared at him through gritted teeth.

"That's. Not. **Helping**."

"Sorry, force of habit." Mako quickly withdrew the hand.

"That's fine." Korra sighed, leaning again as the pain subsided, she couldn't wait for that nagging back to heal, if only to put that awful experience behind her. "And I don't know if you can qualify this as alright. We're no closer to where we were when we started out. It's just like one wild goose chase for us."

Mako nodded, understanding her frustration. They had gone from tracking down the water tribe refugees, to chasing the Blue Spirit and now, to the embattered city of Yu Dao, all within the span of a few weeks. Still though, in his mind, that was a step forward.

"I know this may sound strange to you," Mako said calmly, "But I think we're closer to your goal than ever. We'll get your parents out soon enough."

"And I think the sun may have scrambled your brains city boy." Korra joked lightly. "Those water tribe guys are long gone."

And for everyone's sake, Korra thought, they better _stay _gone.

"Hear me out." Mako replied, ignoring the jibe. "We lost the water tribe prisoners, yes, but now, you have the _Crown Prince_ of the Fire Nation asking you to help him out. I don't have to be a 'city boy', or a sergeant to see the benefits of that."

"You think I haven't thought of it?" Korra said, rather skeptically. "From my experience, Fire Nation nobles don't exactly like to think they owe anyone any favors. Heck, he probably thinks he's doing us a favor by gracing us with his presence."

That came out maybe more bitter than Korra had intended, but then again, that was what she had known all her life. Fire Nation nobles and citizens treating colonials like her as if they were no more than trash. Zhenjin acted decent enough, she admitted, but who was to say deep down he wasn't just using them?

"Zhenjin's different than that." Mako said firmly. "Trust me on this."

"How can you be so sure?" Korra asked, genuinely curious.

"I've known him for a long time." Mako said. "Remember, I did attend the Royal Academy with him."

"Of course," Korra smirked, "How can I forget, _lord _Mako."

Mako chuckled softly at the old joke. "Well, despite what people say about his mother, he's turned out alright. He's the kind of leader that you would fight for, and believe me, Korra, he isn't the type to turn his back on his friends, or forget a favor."

Korra nodded gently as she listened. True, From what she knew of the royal family, especially the Phoenix Lord, they seemed like the scariest people on the face of the earth. But Zhenjin did seem like a decent guy.

_I guess I can give him credit for not being as big a jerk as he could have been._

"I'll remember that Mako." Korra nodded.

"So...enough about me, how about you? Excited to see your home town again?" She asked, cutting the short silence. The first time they had met, Mako had told her that he was born in Yu Dao, living with his brother, but for some reason, Mako didn't look all too eager to return.

"I have mixed feelings." Mako said uneasily. "It's home, but I can't say there have been that many good memories. I became a Southern Raider partly to get away from that place."

"It can't be as big of a dump as the prison." Korra said gruffly.

Mako shook his head. "No, it was nothing like that, but I just needed a change."

Korra nodded, not wanting to pry, she decided to move onto another subject. "You mentioned you had a brother? What about him?"

"His name is Bolin." Mako replied, "He wanted to join the army, but as you know, Earthbenders aren't allowed in the Royal Army unless they are for Phoenix Lord Azula's Sentinels. So I got him a place at New Ozai instead, where he's working the Pro-bending circuit."

"Pro-bending?" Korra asked in confusion.

"Something I think you'll like." Mako said with a grin. "When this is all over, maybe I can take you to the Capital to meet him and you can see for yourself. It's a pretty fast paced and exciting sport, and sometimes it can get pretty brutal. So I think you'll like it."

"You know me all too well." Korra smirked.

Before they could continue, the horn of the Fire Navy Cruiser blew, signalling that they were pulling into port. An excited On Ji was hauling a sick Hide from the crew quarters, urging Korra and Mako to join them at the stern of the ship.

"I guess that's our cue." Mako said seriously. "We'll finish this job first, then we'll see what Zhenjin can do about your family."

"Alright Mako, I'll trust you on this one." Korra smiled softly, before following Mako as he ran to the stern of the ship.

As they ran away, neither Korra nor Mako noticed the indentations that Korra had left on the metal railing from earlier.

* * *

Yu Dao was the oldest Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom, and the third largest city in the Phoenix Empire behind Ba Sing Se and New Ozai. Founded from the days of Fire Lord Sozin, before the beginning of the Hundred Year War, it stood as a testament to the power and splendour of the Fire Nation colonies, becoming one of the wealthiest cities in the world, as well as the base of the Fire Nation's metalworking industry within the Earth Kingdom. With the end of the Hundred Year War, the city continued to grow by leaps and bounds, expanding the protective walls, as well as constructing a road to a sprawling harbour that lay on the western shores of the continent.

It was there, where Governor Morishita watched anxiously as the Fire Nation Cruiser pulled up to dock. The honor guard of the city was present as well, mainly colonial soldiers who stood by nervously while the gangplank was lowered onto the dock.

"Prince Zhenjin," The Governor and his entourage bowed low in respect as the prince descended from the ship, with Korra, Mako and Asami following behind. "It is an honor to have you here, I apologize for the meager reception, had I known you were coming sooner, I would have made better preparations."

"It's fine Governor Morishita." Zhenjin casually ignored the man's pathetic display of sycophancy, then took a stern look at the troops gathered at the harbour.

He spoke to the portly old man as they walked past the rank and file troops that had gathered at the harbor. "We've got more pressing matters to attend to. Namely, the defense of the colony. I trust you have a list of all your battalions available for me to inspect?"

The governor, at that moment, blinked in confusion. "Sorry my Prince, there must be a misunderstanding. I was told that you would be commanding the garrison only, while General Vachir commands the defensive army.

"General Vachir?" Mako asked out of curiosity.

"An old soldier of my mother's, and Grandfather's." Zhenjin explained for the benefit of his friends. "He was reputed to be one of the best Yuyan archers of all time, then went on to command the Rough Rhino cavalry battalion."

Then, the Prince turned to the governor. "But what is he doing here?"

"He was assigned to command the Yu Dao army just weeks ago my Prince." The governor said dutifully. "I thought you would have been informed?"

Zhenjin's eyes narrowed coldly at that revelation. "Evidently not. I think it's time I pay General Vachir a visit."

* * *

It was a short journey by Komodo Rhino before Zhenjin and his guards reached Yu Dao, and as the gates of the great colony opened to let the convoy in, Korra's face was etched in a look of wonder and amazement as she caught sight of the city. The city itself was organized onto a square grid, with the large main road cutting straight through the town towards the Governor's palace. The city itself was built in stone, with vibrant green and red tiled rooftops exhibiting a mixture of Earth Kingdom and Fire nation styles. Vibrant colors and signs seemed to hang from every building, and the traffic of people and animals seemed endless. A sea of humanity that only parted as the Prince and his escorts made their way to the governor's palace.

As the crew walked, the colonial soldiers saluted the prince. The colonials, Korra noted, wore a simple dark green tunic lined with the red of the Fire Nation, while the regular Fire Nation troops were fully armored like her. They too, saluted in turn as the Prince passed.

Eventually, they reached the front of the Governor's palace, a fairly decent sized fortress by the looks of it, with an imposingly long stairway up the entrance to boot.

Sensing that perhaps it was best to go alone, Zhenjin turned to his entourage of Southern Raiders and Yuyan Archers.

"You guys take a break." Zhenjin said firmly, "I'll pay a visit to General Vachir myself and see what this is all about."

"Of course my Prince." Asami bowed deeply, while Mako, On ji and the rest of the troops saluted.

"You're the boss." Korra saluted with a smirk, which elicited a small grin from Zhenjin.

"I won't be too long."

As the prince turned and ascended the steps, the rest of the Southern Raiders and Archers stood at ease, several already heading to the nearest barracks for a drink and meal. Mako had suggested the same for Korra and her friends as well, and they were soon making their way to the town barracks.

"Aren't you a long way from home Southern Raider?" A voice behind Korra inquired curiously, and the Southern Raider turned to find herself looking at a young Earth Kingdom woman. She looked the part of a warrior too, wearing the green uniform of the colonial troops, with the red sash and shoulder guards of the Fire Nation. She also sported a pair of deadly meteor hammers hanging by her side, and from that, Korra guessed that she must have been an Earthbender as well.

The Earth Kingdom woman extended her hand cordially to Korra. "It's great to meet someone from the South Pole Colonies."

"I can say the same to you. Your city is amazing." Korra accepted her handshake, it was quick and firm, and Korra matched it in kind. "I'm Private Korra."

"Kori Morishita." The colonial woman replied, "I'm in charge of commanding the colonial militia."

That name struck Korra by surprise. "Morishita...so you're part of the governor's family?"

"Yup, I'm his daughter, if that wasn't too obvious." She smirked. "It's great to see you guys here, the colonial recruits take a lot of heart seeing the prince here, even with all the talk of the battles in the East."

"We'll do what we can to help." Korra replied earnestly. "And...not to sound rude, but I thought Earthbenders weren't allowed to fight in the army?"

"The colonial recruits are mainly non-benders." Kori explained. "But I'm allowed as an exception. Being the governor's daughter and all."

Then, she gave Korra a friendly jab on her shoulder. "But what about you? Waterbender's aren't allowed in the army either, except as healers. So I'm guessing you're a non-bender then?"

"Heh, as hard as it is to believe. I'm a firebender." Korra said casually.

At that, A look of disbelief etched itself on Kori's face. "No. Way. You have to show me."

Normally, Korra wouldn't have indulged her. But she was eager to do anything to take her thoughts away from Earth bending, and just like that, she produced a small flame in her hand that fluttered in the air until she clasped her hand and extinguished it.

"Wow, I've never seen someone from the Water Tribe colonies firebend before." Kori said, as if still not believing what she saw.

"Yeah," Korra chuckled lightly. "They said I was the first of a new generation of colonials. Who knows right?"

"Well in any case," Kori gave a friendly smile. "I'm glad to have you on our side. Spirits know we'll need people like you if we are to drive the Earth Kingdom away."

Korra nodded, and before she could reply, at that moment, Mako and Asami were shouting in the distance at Korra from the entranceway to the market. Evidently, the Southern Raiders were starting to get acquainted with some Earth Kingdom market food, and they were gesturing at Korra to join in.

"I won't keep you from your squad mates Korra." Kori nodded in understanding. "I'll see you around, and I look forward to working with you."

"Likewise Kori, look forward to working with ya!" Korra smirked, then ran off towards her friends.

Kori meanwhile, watched as Korra walked away. Unbelievable...The Avatar was _right_ here, fighting to defend Yu Dao from Giam's men. Somehow, she took comfort in that, even if that seemed so wrong at the same time. No doubt Toph was out there searching for her as well, she would have to be notified.

Kori too, looked back at the fortifications, the stone walls that had kept the town safe for over a century, and hopefully, would continue to do so again.

She only prayed Noatak and Tarrlok were making due on their own.

* * *

With word of the impending Earth Kingdom attack, several of Yu Dao's citizens and soldiers from the neighboring colonies had volunteered to pitch in on the defense efforts; reinforcing the old walls with extra steel and earthworks, while others had been conscripted to stockpile supplies.

This demeaning and boring task, to their luck, fell on Noatak and Tarrlok's shoulders.

"Work faster you no good, lazy colonials!" The Fire Nation overseer shouted harshly at the colonial recruits and conscripts.

For the hundredth time, Noatak took a deep breath and resisted the urge to throw that man into the nearest well. Instead, he knelt down and threw the heavy pack of rice over his shoulder. More food supplies that were being gathered from the countryside to store inside the city.

"I..." Tarrlok huffed as he tried to lift the sack of grain over his shoulder, but the sack stayed stuck to the ground with the stubborness of an immoveable object. "I didn't think it was going to be this bad."

Noatak, who was used to more of the heavy lifting from his intense training as a Wolf Tail Raider, seemed to take some light enjoyment from his brother's predicament. "Come on Tarrlok, you don't want to blow our cover as laborers now do you? This was _your _idea after all."

"I think I'll pretend to be a painter in our next one." The young man panted in exhaustion, even as he grunted under the weight of the cargo. "Or a food taster." He quickly regretted saying that, as he felt the rumble of his stomach.

Noatak chuckled softly as he watched his brother _finally_ lift the bag_ (Tarrlok could do so much more if he actually believed in himself, he thought absentmindedly)_. He couldn't but think back to how easily they had managed to sneak past the Fire Nation's defenses. It had been Tarrlok's idea to accompany Kori Morishita back to Yu Dao to chase after Niska. Leaving Kodiak behind with Lin, the pair followed Kori back to the colony, hoping to sneak in undercover as one of Kori's servants, getting an opportunity to not only work inside the governor's palace but to also have a secure base of operations from which he could go out and rescue Niska, but that plan fell astray when the guards refused to let them into the Palace after Kori, threatening to throw them out due to their suspicious water tribe heritage.

It wasn't until Kori personally vouched for them, that they were only servants she picked up in Gaoling, did the guards relent and allowed the pair to stay in the city. And true to Fire Nation form, they didn't waste any time putting them to hard manual labour. After all, no guest would be an idle guest behind Fire Nation walls, as the recruiting soldier had sneered.

They had worked for what seemed like hours that day, the only pause coming when the large steel gates of the city opened, something that only happened when travelers of note, be it an important noble or an army battalion, would make their way into the city.

It didn't take long before all the laborers had paused what they were doing to a glimpse of the visiting dignitary.

To Tarrlok and Noatak, however, the procession offered multiple surprises.

First, was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. The one they called the Crimson Dragon, who was said to be one of the best Firebenders in the Empire, as well as heir to the throne, led the way, escorted by several platoons of Yuyan Archers.

Noatak winced as he saw the archers. The Yuyan archers were feared and renowned throughout the world as sharp scouts, and even better shots. It was going to be tough sneaking around the city at night when they were on watch.

The second surprise in the procession came as the Southern Raiders revealed themselves, and Noatak and Tarrlok both widened their eyes as they saw Korra follow the prince, marching lock step behind.

"No way! It's the Ava-" Tarrlok felt a hand clasp his mouth, as Noatak fiercely moved to stop his brother before he said another word.

"Do you _want_ us to get caught?" He reprimanded his brother. "Besides, if we blow her cover now, we'll be in as much trouble as she is."

"Sorry..." Tarrlok replied softly. "But...we have to try and get her back. Don't we?"

"Yes." Noatak sighed, remembering what his brother had said weeks ago, "But first, Niska."

At that moment, after the Southern Raiders had passed the gate, another procession followed. A steady stream of prisoners clamped in chains. Captives, Noatak guessed, from either the latest Southern Raider raid, or the last battle with the Yuyan Archers. But it wasn't until later did they notice the large wagon enter the city. It was a standard wagon, pulled by Komodo Rhinos, but it had a metal box chained and loaded on the back; one big enough for a person.

"That has to be her." Noatak exclaimed, almost ready to dart himself forward, until a firm hand grabbed Noatak by the wrist, and to his surprise, he saw Tarrlok. This time, it was his turn to be the calm and measure oned. "We can't do anything for her now either. Not in the middle of a Fire Nation colony like this."

Noatak grunted in annoyance, furious at being so helpless, but Tarrlok was right. They were _both_ right, with the Avatar and with Niska, the time wasn't right. Not yet.

"Alright you louts!" The overseer shouted again, "Break time's over, back to work!"Both brothers groaned at that exclamation, kneeling down to pick up their sacks of rice and grain once again.

"There needs to be an opening..." Noatak murmured as he carried the sack beside Tarrlok. "We can't stay here forever."

"We'll think of something Brother." Tarrlok said confidently. "I know we will."

* * *

Prince Zhenjin took a sip of tea calmly as he sat at his end of the table, facing the commander of the Army in the region. The guards had cleared the room out of respect, while the two sat over the table that was filled with maps of the surrounding region, as well as reports of the latest battle between the Earth Kingdom and the Phoenix Empire's armies.

The General of Yu Dao, Vachir, was a veteran of many battles, and it carried with the way he presented himself. Adorned in the crimson and gold trimmed armor and tunic of a general, his features were rough, with a sharp, piercing look in his eyes that showed the intelligence and cunning of a former Yuyan archer.

Zhenjin himself quietly approved, there was steel in this one, and Vachir gave the impression of man who could intimidate others easily, even if it wasn't his intention. Fortunately, the Prince had been raised by Azula, this was _nothing_ in comparison.

"So, that's the plan then." Zhenjin said calmly as he set the cup of tea down the table.

"It is, my Prince." Vachir replied. "As you may have heard from the latest reports, the Crimson Army suffered a defeat on the Divide."

"I've heard." Zhenjin replied. Messenger hawks were awfully efficient these days, especially when he's had his Yuyan Archers intercept a few on his way over to the city. They had shot the messages clear off the hawks without even scratching the birds, allowing Zhenjin to read the dispatches before sending them off again on his own hawks.

"Phoenix Lord Azula has ordered that I preserve the army and defend the region at all costs. I will evacuate our army from Yu Dao, and pull back to another defensive line. We will also work to deny the enemy any resource that is of military worth."

"Define military worth." Zhenjin replied cooly.

"Anything my Prince. Building Materials, Wood, Stone; Supplies such as the harvests; Even the labour."

The last line was said with a dark tone, and Zhenjin didn't need to imagine just what he meant by that.

"So your gathering of the harvests, of the supplies. It isn't meant for a siege." Zhenjin noted.

"No," Vachir said gravely. "We will turn Yu Dao into a trap for the Earth Kingdom; a great funeral pyre, and burn them along with the city."

"And you think the colonials will look kindly to this?" The Prince asked out of curiosity.

Vachir spat derisively at that statement. "Our infantry takes precedence over untrained colonials. Of course, they have been kept out of the picture."

"I see..."

The General nodded, "In fact, your arrival is most opportune my Prince. Your Yuyan Archers and your platoon of Southern Raiders would be very useful in our delaying actions, as well as keeping the colonial population in check while we set the blasting jells and burning oils up."

So the General was marking his territory. That suited Zhenjin just fine.

"That's all fine General. But I have my own reservations on this plan. Evacuating the army and burning the city won't slow the advance of the Earth Kingdom down. Won't we be vulnerable on the retreat? Even more so without the protection of the walls?"

Vachir frowned at that statement. "I have thought so too my Prince, and to be frank, such ideas do have merit. But we cannot stop the Earth Kingdom army with just colonial militia and the few battalions of regular units on hand. I would rather risk a pitched battle, reinforced by more battalions from New Ozai, than to have my command destroyed in this city."

"Still." Zhenjin pressed. "We should at least make a stand. A fight of it."

Vachir shook his head. "No. Until I receive a counter order stating otherwise, my orders stand. I must do what I can to preserve the army until the Crimson Armada can reinforce us. Even if it means sacrificing the city."

"My mother tasked you to defend the region." Zhenjin replied coldly. "Abandoning the largest colony outside of New Ozai and Ba Sing Se is hardly holding it-"

Zhenjin continued but suddenly stopped as Vachir slammed a fist down on the side of the table, spilling the tea cups and sending a massive jolt through the room that cut Zhenjin off. Vachir glared quietly at Zhenjin, his face cold and expressionless.

"You are free to express your concern my Prince, that is your privilege, but the decision of command, is mine." The old General said. "And unless I have an order from Phoenix Lord Azula stating otherwise, command of the army of this region belongs to _me._ Is that clear?"

Unphased, Zhenjin simply stood and nodded calmly, his face a cold mask.

"Yes. You've made it perfectly clear. _General._"

* * *

The mood was subdued, to say the least, when Zhenjin briefed Mako and his friends on Vachir's plans in the town barracks later that night.

"That's...That's horrible." Korra said seriously. "We have to stop him! convince him of another way!"

"Unfortunately." Zhenjin replied softly. "Vachir's dead set on his plan. And he's the kind of person who will push back twice as hard if he's hard pressed. The Earth kingdom is supposed to be here in three days time. He will make his withdrawal starting tomorrow."

"I...I can't believe it." Mako whispered, his eyes wide in shock as the scope of what he had heard took root in his mind. The Fire Nation was willing to go as far as to sacrifice an entire city of its loyal citizens just to buy its army a few extra days. Worse yet, it was his own hometown. And although he loathed to live here again, it just didn't feel right.

"You're the prince though right?!" On Ji shouted, only to be tempered by Hide who held her back. "I'm sorry. I mean.. my lord. Surely you can command him to stop this right?"

"Normally yes." Zhenjin said, "But he received a direct order and appointment from my mother, and unless she counters her orders and sends new ones, he has the authority. And even assuming my mother is willing to countermand it, sending out the request would take days to reach her."

Asami meanwhile, who was up to this this point was leaning against a post in the corner of the room and listening quietly, threw in her two cents.

"What I don't understand about all this..." Asami began as she straightened herself up to address the group. "Why would Phoenix Lord Azula send two conflicting sets of orders."

"What do you mean Asami?" Korra asked, genuinely confused.

"We all saw the message from the Phoenix Lord in Gaoling, to instruct Zhenjin to command the defenses of the city. Then on the other hand, she gave Vachir freedom to act however he saw fit, surely she must have seen the contradiction there." The Sentinel reasoned. She knew enough of her lord to know that she wouldn't make a rookie mistake like that, especially in a command situation. That was what made it so confusing.

At that moment, everything became clear for Zhenjin.

"It's a test." Zhenjin said softly, almost too softly for everyone to hear.

Just like everything else in his life. This was another one of his mother's obstacles, he thought wearily, another test to prove his worth to her. If he took command and succeeded, she would take credit for orchestrating this little test for the defense, while at the same time, she would know she had a worthy son to inherit. If he failed in this instance, it would be no loss to the war effort, as Yu Dao would still serve its purpose of occupying the Earth Kingdom invasion while her armies prepared for the next phase of the war.

Suddenly, Zhenjin felt a weariness overtake him, chased by a fury that was familiar to him all his life.

"What's wrong?" Mako asked. Along with several of the members in the room.

"Nothing." Zhenjin waved off his friend's inquiries casually, then resumed his focus on the group. He leaned in closer, taking care to speak softly lest anyone eavesdropped on them.

"Vachir is a good soldier who has served the Empire honorably," The prince said, almost with regret, he genuinely meant it. "But unfortunately, at this moment, he is an obstacle on our road to victory. My mother tasked me with holding this colony, and I intend to hold it, not see it burnt into the ground without a fight."

"But how can we do anything?" Korra asked. "You said yourself, he has the authority in this situation over you."

At that statement, the Prince turned and nodded slyly at her.

"That's the beautiful thing about power, Korra." Zhenjin gave a _whiff_ of a smile. "It can shift _very_ quickly."

He leaned it closer to his friends, and no one spoke a word. They were playing a dangerous game, and the stakes could not be higher.

"Now...I have a plan, and I'm going to need your help for this tomorrow." Zhenjin said conspiratorially, eyes scanning intensely around the room at each of his comrades before stopping at Korra's.

"Are you with me?"

* * *

Dozens of miles to the east, a column of smoke could be seen in the distance. To a casual observer, it probably resembled nothing more than a far off smokestack or forest fire, but the rumbling of the ground told otherwise.

But little by little, the dust and smoke was growing, looming closer. They were armored Caterpillar Tanks, followed closely by long dark, green columns of Earth Kingdom troops, fresh from their latest victory and marching with pride and confidence.

Watching all this from the bridge of the gargantuan airship that hovered over it all, General Giam clasped his hands in satisfaction. Soon, the stain known as Yu Dao would be wiped off the face of Earth, and he would usher in a new, glorious era for the Earth Kingdom.

Soon. He smiled to himself. Soon...

* * *

Half a world way, on the crystal blue waters of the great ocean, Phoenix Lord Azula stood calmly at the bridge of her flagship, reading the latest dispatches of message hawks that had just reached her; informing her of the progress of her pawns.

She could only smile - everything was in motion - like clockwork.

* * *

**Next up: Zhenjin puts his plan into motion!  
**

**As you can probably guess. From her harsh upbringing, Korra has gained the potential for an extra subset of bending ;) unfortunately though, it will mean that to balance it out, she will lose the other one from canon (you know which I'm talking about!) But when you consider the order of the elements she was raised in, it makes sense in this AU. At least i like to think so haha.**

**There's still much of the Earth Arc left to cover, so we'll see :) this is a good thing actually. i don't want to start the Water Arc until Season 2 of Korra releases. I hate to write any characters without getting a feel for them from watching the show first. This is particularly directed for Unalaq but who knows, maybe others will appear ;) **

**Also, to give a heads up. I may be on hiatus for two weeks since I will be travelling and may not have time to write. If I do, I definitely WILL update when I can :) but if not, I will start updating as soon as i return near the end of the month!**

**Thanks again everyone for the support, reviews and faves! I will respond to each of you in PM :) for those who I can't...**

**LOK-LOVER**: Thanks for the review and support! And yes, with where this story is going, let's just say Noatak will have a very prominent role in the future. =D

**Guest2**: Oh yes, Sato vs the Mechanist, that would be one awesome invention fight to see :D. As for Earth King Kuei, I'll give some thought to that and see if I can squeeze him in somewhere :)

**RashestRumble16**:Thanks Rashest! you can send me questions as treizevii gmail dot com. It's my fanfiction account email.

**Guest**: Azula has her own ways of keeping order in the capital while she is gone...but that's for future chapters ;)

**Gogglegirl**: Sorry if that was disappointing :( but Hope was born when Aang was alive. She'll play a role though, you'll see


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